A Republican lawmaker has proposed a major name change to a stretch of sea in a direct mirror to Donald Trump.
New Jersey State Senator Michael Testa has called to rename Delaware Bay to “The Bay of New Jersey” in a call-back to Trump’s recent renaming of the former Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Testa has introduced a bill which would require state agencies to use the new name in “publications, signage, websites, and materials to reflect the new designation and notify relevant federal entities”.
The Senator – a longtime Trump backer – promoted his bill on social media with the message “Make New Jersey Great Again!”
Michael Testa (right) promoted his bill on social media with the message ‘Make New Jersey Great Again!’
He added that the rebrand would be justified by pointing to New Jersey’s maritime heritage.
“I look at the robust fishing industry – commercial fishing industry and recreational industry of the State of New Jersey,” he told NJ.com.
“I think that the fact that we have to call the bay that we fish in the Delaware Bay… They’ve had a claim to that long enough.”
The bay has carried its current name since 1610, when it was named after Thomas West, the third Baron de la Warr, who served as Governor of the Virginia colony.
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Donald Trump recently renamed the former Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America
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The waterway serves as a crucial resource for New Jersey’s tourism, commerce and transport sectors.
But it isn’t just water – Testa has also introduced a second piece of legislation this week proposing that New Jersey reclaim a portion of land along nearby Salem County’s shoreline that was allocated to Delaware under a previous border agreement.
The New Jersey Senator’s proposal mirrors similar drives elsewhere in the US.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently suggested renaming Long Island Sound, sharing images of a map of the waterway with a new name and tagging New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
READ MORE ON THE GULF OF AMERICA:
Trump has vowed to mark February 9 as ‘Gulf of America Day’
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On February 9, when Trump carried out his landmark renaming, he vowed to mark the date as “Gulf of America Day”.
“The 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,” he said.
“Today, I am making my first visit to the Gulf of America since its renaming.
“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.”
