Florida's DeSantis Jumps Ahead of Trump's Gulf Renaming Plan

On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis surprised many by already referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" in a state executive order. This move came even before President Trump had taken any official action to rename the body of water. President Trump had mentioned this plan during his inaugural address, but no official steps had been taken by the time DeSantis issued his order. The president's announcement had caused some laughter, notably from Hillary Clinton, who was present at the Capitol Rotunda during the speech. However, DeSantis, who was attending the inauguration, took the promise seriously. He watched the proceedings from Emancipation Hall with other Republican governors and quickly acted on his own. DeSantis didn't wait for Trump's official action. He issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency due to an approaching winter storm in the Florida Panhandle. In this order, he used the term "Gulf of America, " aligning himself with Trump's plan. This early adoption could be seen as an attempt by DeSantis to please the president and show support for his agenda.