Rock musician John Mellencamp has publicly criticized President Donald Trump's proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America." During his ongoing "Dancing Words" tour, Mellencamp paused during a performance of his song "Pink Houses" to voice his disapproval.
"The Gulf of Mexico? Is that right? It’s not the Gulf of America? What a stupid fucking idea that is," Mellencamp said onstage in Holmdel, New Jersey, on a recent Saturday. He has made similar remarks at other tour stops, reportedly telling a crowd in Wantagh, New York, "They changed the name of it, but I’m not buying it."
Trump has promoted the renaming of the over 400-year-old body of water, which some map services, including Google, reportedly updated following an executive order. The long-standing name reflects Mexico's claim to a larger portion of the gulf than the United States.
Mellencamp, who has supported Democratic causes and lives in Indiana, has previously been critical of Trump. In 2018, he referred to the president as a "madman" while expressing concerns about the impact of tariffs on American farmers. In April, Trump had also considered rebranding the gulf as the "Gulf of Trump," though he later claimed he was joking.
In response to Mellencamp's comments, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital, "Nobody in their right mind cares what out-of-touch, woke Hollywood celebrities have to say."