(Bloomberg) -- Mexico’s president responded in kind to Donald Trump’s latest jibes, suggesting part of the US be renamed instead of the Gulf of Mexico.
A day after the incoming US president said the body of water between his country, Mexico and the Caribbean should be called the “Gulf of America,” Claudia Sheinbaum presented early maps of the Americas at her daily press briefing.
The Gulf of Mexico’s name has held since the early 17th century and is recognized by the United Nations, she said. Sheinbaum also joked that states including California and Texas could revert to their former name, “America Mexicana.”
“It sounds good, doesn’t it?” Sheinbaum quipped to reporters Wednesday in Mexico City.
Trump escalated the feud with his southern neighbor at a press conference Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago resort. In addition to saying he would rename the gulf, he claimed Mexico was “run by the cartels,” argued it cannot continue to serve as a transit point for millions of undocumented migrants heading to the US, and reiterated his threat to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican goods.
“We want to get along with everybody, but it takes two to tango,” Trump said.
The US president-elect and Sheinbaum last spoke on the phone in November to discuss issues including Mexico’s crackdown on migration. Her response to Trump’s provocations has been acerbic when addressing the Mexican public, though her willingness to work with him on top issues has won her points with the president-elect.
On Wednesday, she rebuffed Trump’s comments on the strength of the cartels.
“President Trump was misinformed, with all due respect,” Sheinbaum said, adding that Mexico is no longer governed by Felipe Calderón, one of her predecessors, and Genaro García Luna, a former Mexican security chief convicted by the US of colluding with drug traffickers in 2023. Today in Mexico, “the people govern,” she said.
Sheinbaum nevertheless said she remains optimistic about Mexico-US ties under the incoming administration. “I still think we’re going to have a good relationship with Trump,” she told reporters.
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