President Trump declares Feb. 9 first ever 'Gulf of America Day'

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump recognized Sunday, Feb. 9 as the first ever ‘Gulf of America Day.' 

The proclamation was published to the White House website Sunday afternoon as Air Force One flew over the body of water on his way to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. 

"As my Administration restores American pride in the history of American greatness, it is fitting and appropriate for our great Nation to come together and commemorate this momentous occasion and the renaming of the Gulf of America.

‘Gulf of America’ executive order

The backstory:

Trump signed an executive order officially renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America on his first day in office.

The president promised to make the change before entering office, saying that 

Executive Order 14172, "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness" required the Secretary of the Interior to "take all appropriate actions to rename as the ‘Gulf of America’ the U.S. Continental Shelf area bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the State of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba in the area formerly named as the Gulf of Mexico."

"I took this action in part because, as stated in that Order, "[t]he area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America," the proclamation reads.

Trump's attacks on Mexico

Big picture view:

The Trump administration has taken aim at Mexico with specific grievances on immigration into the U.S., drugs and firearms being smuggled over the border and on the economic front. 

After the president announced last week that he would be imposing 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico, he did an about-face, saying he would delay tariffs on Mexican imports for at least a month as the country after the nation's president said they would reinforce the border with 10,000 members of the National Guard immediately.

The tariffs were framed as a response to illegal immigration and fentanyl-related concerns but the Trump administration has said it will also apply to oil — a move critics say could cause gas prices to shoot up in excess of $0.20 a gallon, FOX Business reports. 

The Associated Press said that in 2023, the U.S. bought more than $45 billion in agricultural products from Mexico – including 63% of imported vegetables and 47% of fruits and nuts.