ISTANBUL

In line with new President Donald Trump’s initiative, the governor of the US state of Florida referred to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" in a new executive order on an approaching winter storm.

Ron DeSantis’s order said: “An area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America, interacting with Arctic air, will bring widespread impactful winter weather to North Florida beginning Tuesday, January 21, 2025.”

DeSantis’ use of “Gulf of America” aligns with Trump’s Monday inaugural address reiterating his unilateral plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

Trump has also discussed expanding American territory, mentioning the possibility of reclaiming the Panama Canal or taking control of Greenland, and refusing to rule out using military force to do so.

In a news conference before his inauguration, Trump first brought up the change, saying, “A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico,” saying the phrase “Gulf of America” has “a beautiful ring.”

Though it aligns with Trump’s “America First” plans, some have questioned whether the president has the power to make the change just by saying it.

Ahead of the storm, DeSantis issued a state of emergency for a “major disaster” expected to bring “all modes of hazardous winter weather … including snow, sleet, and freezing rain.”