Texas Country Singer Warren Zeiders Criticizes Trump‘s Renaming of Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’
AUSTIN, TX – Texas country singer Warren Zeiders publicly rebuked former President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” asserting that any “real Texan” recognizes the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico. Zeiders voiced his opposition in an Instagram post, highlighting the important contributions of Mexican Americans to the Texas economy.
“I was born on the Gulf of Mexico. I don’t recognize it by any other name,” Zeiders wrote. “Any real Texan knows that our Mexican American brothers and sisters hold up our economy in every industry.”
Trump’s proposal, detailed in a post on his social media platform referencing a piece titled “Restoring names That Honor American Greatness,” has sparked debate. The Gulf of Mexico has been known by it’s current name since it was frist mapped in 1550. The move coincides with heightened scrutiny of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities, including recent raids targeting Latino communities and ongoing concerns regarding ICE’s plans under the previous management.
Zeiders, who was born in the Rio Grande Valley – a region with a population over 90% Latino – further criticized the renaming effort, suggesting Washington D.C. focus on renaming regions with less historical grounding. “if those boys in Washington, D.C. wanna go renaming regions of this country, thay can start with New England.because it ain’t new and it ain’t England,” he stated.
The Instagram post quickly drew a mixed reaction. While some commenters defended Trump’s decision, arguing the “Gulf of America” is technically accurate given the broader North American context – with one user stating, “As it’s all North America, it really isnt a stretch to call it the Gulf of America…actually it’s more accurate to do so” – the response was largely supportive of Zeiders.
Several commenters expressed gratitude for Zeiders’ defense of Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, and applauded a country artist speaking out against government policy. Some drew parallels to fellow country artist Zach Bryan, who recently faced backlash for a song snippet criticizing ICE.
“All of the great outlaw country musicians of our past would have despised the MAGA movement,” one Instagram user commented. Another wrote,”Make Country hate the government again.”
The controversy highlights a growing trend of artists using their platforms to address political and social issues, and underscores the sensitivity surrounding immigration and cultural identity in Texas and the broader american Southwest.
