The White House has responded to comments made by musician John Mellencamp, who criticized President Donald Trump's renaming of the "Gulf of Mexico" to "Gulf of America" during a concert. Davis Ingle, a White House spokesperson, stated that "nobody in their right mind cares what out-of-touch, woke Hollywood celebrities have to say," in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Mellencamp made the remarks on Saturday night while performing in Holmdel, New Jersey, as part of his "Dancing Words" Tour. While singing his hit song "Pink Houses," the artist paused to address the renaming initiative. He noted the lyric, "And vacation down at the Gulf of Mexico," before questioning the change. According to USA Today, Mellencamp sarcastically remarked, "The Gulf of Mexico? Is that right? It’s not the Gulf of America? What a stupid f–—-g idea." He then resumed performing the song.
"Pink Houses," released in 1983, reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. While often perceived as a patriotic song, Mellencamp has described it as a commentary on the American dream, exploring themes of class, inequality, and the disparity between ideals and reality. The inspiration for the song reportedly came from seeing a man sitting outside a small pink house in Indiana.
President Trump had previously held up a sign proclaiming "Gulf of America" on the South Lawn of the White House in April 2025.