October 28, 2025
Map wars & goose memes
Nine months later, is still the "Gulf of Mexico" to news outlets
Internet shrugs at “Gulf of America” as press and a Florida town say nope
TLDR: Most outlets still say “Gulf of Mexico,” and a Florida town rejected renaming its main road, despite a presidential order. Comments split between jokes and fatigue, with sharp concern over press freedom and power plays—making this more about media resistance and public pushback than a map label change.
Nine months after the headline-grabbing executive order to rebrand the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” the community reaction is equal parts roast and eye-roll. The biggest vibe: rename fatigue. Longboat Key, Florida just delivered a spicy plot twist, unanimously rejecting a plan to swap “Gulf of Mexico Drive” for “Gulf of America Drive”—even after state crews started pulling down signs. Locals flooded inboxes, with 83% of emails saying “nope,” and commenters cheered: finally, a practical decision.
But the real drama is in the media standoff. While big tech—Google, Apple, Microsoft—mostly fell in line, newsrooms didn’t. The Associated Press stuck with “Gulf of Mexico,” prompting a blockade from the Oval Office, a court smackdown, and then a pivot to blocking wire services as a group. Cue outrage from readers worried about press freedom, alongside skeptics calling it a “slow news day.”
Meanwhile, the memes are immaculate: one user joked about renaming the Canada goose to “America goose,” and another spotted a literal “Gulf of America” sticker slapped on a national parks map—DIY rebranding at its finest. Data backs the mood too: mentions of “Gulf of Mexico” now swamp “Gulf of America,” rising from 1.48× to 8.24× over the months. Gannett sits awkwardly in the middle, using both. The internet verdict? Rename rage meets goose giggles.
Key Points
- •Trump issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America,” but newsrooms largely continued using “Gulf of Mexico.”
- •Google, Apple, and Microsoft adopted the renaming; most news organizations did not, with Gannett choosing to use both names.
- •After AP kept “Gulf of Mexico,” Trump blocked AP reporters from the Oval Office; a federal court barred blocking AP specifically, prompting a pivot to blocking wire services as a class.
- •Analysis of nearly 30,000 stories shows “Gulf of Mexico” dominates usage, with Nexis ratios rising from 1.48× (Feb) to 8.24× (Sept); Newspapers.com also shows a consistent lead.
- •Longboat Key commissioners unanimously rejected renaming Gulf of Mexico Drive; 83% of public emails opposed the change, and FDOT had begun removing existing signs.