Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico during a press conference on Wednesday. Trump had suggested calling it the Gulf of America, a proposal which Sheinbaum quickly addressed with a historical counterpoint.

Sheinbaum playfully suggested that the United States could instead adopt a name with deep historical roots: "Why don’t we call it America Mexicana? It sounds pretty, no?" she said, gesturing to a map from 1607 that depicted the territory now known as the U.S., Mexico, and parts of Canada. The name America Mexicana, Sheinbaum noted, was used in a European map commissioned by the Dutch East India Company. She also pointed out that the term is mentioned in Mexico's Constitution of Apatzingán, which was created during the independence movement against Spain.

The Mexican president further emphasized that this name, America Mexicana, reflects a significant part of the country’s history, stating, "Since 1607, the Constitution of Apatzingán was of America Mexicana, so let’s call it America Mexicana."

In addition to her remarks about the name, Sheinbaum rejected Trump’s claim that Mexico is controlled by drug cartels. She refuted the former U.S. president’s outdated understanding, asserting that Mexico is not governed by Felipe Calderón, who served as president from 2006 to 2012, nor by any of Calderón’s officials who were involved in corrupt activities. "But no," Sheinbaum declared. "In Mexico, the people rule."