President Donald Trump, in one month, has flooded the country with a slew of executive orders. Among them is the bizarre renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Though the change is ridiculous, some Americans are indifferent to the switch or amused by the media storm it prompted. However, this seemingly small act of altering the gulf’s name demonstrates a sentiment greater than a supposed admiration for America.
From the sheer volume of the executive orders, it is clear that a strategy of overwhelming and distracting the American public has been implemented.
The publicity of the “Gulf of America” has distracted Americans from more pressing issues — such as birthright citizenship, climate change and transgender rights, which is ironic, considering the gulf’s change in name and identity associated with it.
Trump’s administration benefits heavily from the lack of attention to pressing issues. While the public stuns at the symbolic display of white supremacy, his team can enact the change to make it a reality.
The name change also furthers the divide between already polarized people. By even referring to the gulf by name, one’s political leanings can be assumed. The name difference is minor enough to seem trivial but revealing enough to shape biases and distrust.
Even the most reputable sources are labeled as misinformation for using “Gulf of Mexico.” The suppression of the press, blamed on the use of the wrong name, is especially concerning. By using the internationally recognized and older term for the gulf, AP News has found itself blocked from covering White House events. Turning away journalists for this reason sets a dangerous precedent and is an outright breach of the First Amendment. It is not just petty, it is an attempt to restrain news coverage — especially unbiased, accurate coverage — of presidential affairs.
Being known for not particularly caring about the legality or constitutionality of his actions, it is reasonable to assume this will become a frequent occurrence in Trump’s presidency.
What Americans are witnessing is not the inconsequential renaming of the gulf nor any vague celebration of the U.S. Americans are witnessing the president engulf any power and control that can be exerted on the country. It is easy to watch news unfold in bewilderment, amusement or indifference, but do not get tangled in the theatrics of it all. The greater purpose of these decisions must be kept in mind.
