ELI5: Why did Trump change the name of the Gulf?

[Vandelay]

He has dementia driven dreams of a new manifest destiny. He's putting on for his legend.

It's all fake, but he's doing it for his legacy.

What's wild is, I started rewatching Game of Thrones this week. The parallels are flat out absurd...

 

[jerniebert]

I still do not understand it myself...

Other countries will not necessarily be compelled to call what has always been called in modern history "the Gulf of Mexico" by this new name, just because Trump says so...

Ironically, though, the new name is not totally incorrect. Many years ago, I used to have Asian students who told me, in their country, they learned there were only 5 continents - Africa, Oceania, Eurasia, America and Antarctica. There was no distinction between North and South America, as we have here in the USA. From that stance, technically, the new name fits.

It's still the Gulf of Mexico to me, though

Using this logic any Gulf attached to the Americas fits, but changing those names won't incite the racism and hate that trump likes to instill in American culture.