Hillary Clinton Laughs as Trump Shares Plan to Rename ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to ‘Gulf of America’ in His Inaugural Address

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Hillary Clinton couldn’t contain her laughter during President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration speech

The former secretary of state, 77, was caught stifling a laugh when Trump, 78, declared moments taking the oath on Jan. 20 that as president, he will prioritize changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”

“America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on earth, inspiring the awe, admiration of the entire world,” Trump said in his address. 

He added, leading to Clinton’s amusement: “A short time from now, we will be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and we will be restoring the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs.”

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This is not the first time Trump has mentioned his plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

At a Mar-a-Lago press conference earlier this month, the now-president shared his stance, saying, “We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring. That covers a lot of territory, the Gulf of America. What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate. It’s appropriate. And Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country.”

Last week, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a fierce ally of Trump’s, said she would prepare legislation to change the name.

“The American people are footing the bill to protect and secure the maritime waterways for commerce to be conducted. Our U.S. armed forces protect the area from any military threats from foreign countries,” she said in a statement. “It’s our gulf. The rightful name is the Gulf of America and it’s what the entire world should refer to it as.” 

Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (R) and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speak during the town hall debate at Washington University on October 9, 2016 in St Louis, Missouri. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

While Clinton laughed at Trump’s comment, she held back blatant signs of animosity during the inauguration despite her long-standing rift with the president. The two went head-to-head during the 2016 presidential election, where Clinton won the popular vote but Trump claimed the Electoral College victory.

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Since then, Clinton has remained vocal in her opposition to Trump. She has been a strong supporter of former President Joe Biden, who awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this month, and she supported Vice President Kamala Harris‘ bid for the presidency in 2024.

In a 2019 interview with PEOPLE, Clinton described Trump as “a reckless, corrupt human tornado who cares only about himself.”

She added, “The president of the United States is betraying our country on a daily basis. This man who is in the Oval Office right now is a clear and present danger to the future of the United States.”

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