Sheinbaum’s remark quickly went viral on social media. It also offered a glimpse into how Mexico’s first female president may approach her relationship with Trump, who has promised mass deportations and steep tariffs on Mexico
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President-elect Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. AP/Reuters
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reacted with sarcasm on Wednesday (January 8) to US President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
Speaking during her daily press briefing, Sheinbaum stood before a map and dryly suggested renaming North America as “América Mexicana,” or Mexican America, citing an 1814 document that predates Mexico’s constitution.
“That sounds nice, no?” she said with a wry tone, adding that the Gulf of Mexico has carried its name since 1607.
Her remark quickly went viral on social media. It also offered a glimpse into how Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, might approach her relationship with Trump, who has promised mass deportations and steep tariffs on trading partners, including Mexico.
Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, managed to work closely with Trump despite political differences. López Obrador’s administration, under US pressure, implemented measures to block migrants heading north— a move Trump praised.
Analysts have questioned whether Sheinbaum, a leftist scientist lacking her predecessor’s populist style, can establish a similar rapport.
“Humour can be a good tactic— it projects strength,