“Gulf of America” means you’ve been conquered

Trump is trying to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. He thinks it shows American domination.

I’m not sure if he’d be so keen if he realized it meant the exact opposite.

Transportation routes, including bodies of water, were often named after their destination. The Gulf of Mexico was named by the Spanish colonial invaders in a show of dominance over the native populations in Mexico. There was no suggestion that the Mexicans owned the gulf.

Changing it to the Gulf of America feels like he’s opening up the country to an invasion from the south. The very thing his supporters are most afraid of.