Who is Marjorie Taylor Greene - as MAGA loyalist pushes bill to change Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' in 50 US states

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, has voiced her support for renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. She introduced a bill, and is now pushing it, to implement the change shortly after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the name to be changed.

The renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America’ was one of the first decisions that Trump has made upon entering the White House. It symbolizes his "America First" approach to foreign policy. In his executive order, one of several signed on his first day in office, Trump said the name change was in recognition of the Gulf's "critical importance to our nation's economy and its people."

The large body of water that borders Mexico, the United States and Cuba has been called the Gulf of Mexico for more than 400 years before the U.S. existed as a country. At a press conference Trump told reporters that his administration would change the body of water's name to the "Gulf of America," which he said, "has a beautiful ring" to it "because we do most of the work there and it's ours."

Greene supports the measure. She wrote on X on Tuesday (22 April): “We must pass my bill, the Gulf of America Act, to codify President Trump’s Executive Order into law. My bill will ensure the rightful Gulf of AMERICA is permanently recognized in all 50 states. This is a win for all Americans, including the businesses on the Gulf that support its economy and our military that protects its waters!”.

Many Americans responded to her tweet disagreeing that the bill should be introduced. One user wrote: “Gulf of America? LMAO. Next y’all gonna rename the Atlantic “Freedom Ocean” and think you fixed inflation”.

Another wrote: “I guarantee you Americans are 1,000% more concerned about the rising cost of our groceries and goods as a direct result of trump's unnecessary trade war. Nobody cares about your "Gulf of America" distraction, especially since the MAJORITY of us are going to continue referring to it as the Gulf of Mexico.”

Who is Marjorie Taylor Greene?

She was elected to Congress in 2020 and quickly became a powerful - and vocal - player in the Republican Party. Often known by her initials MTG, she also proclaims herself to be a "proud American, 100% pro-life, pro-gun, pro-Trump".

She is a staunch ally of Donald Trump. She has downplayed and justified the 6 January Capitol insurrection, claiming the rioters would have "won" and "been armed" if she had organised it.

After the White House called her comments "dangerous, abhorrent", Ms Taylor Greene said she had been joking. In 2021, she was stripped of her committee assignments by House of Representatives managers over racist comments, her embracing of conspiracy theories and her past endorsement of violence against Democratic officials.

She was widely denounced for comparing COVID-19 masks and vaccinations to the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. Ms Taylor Greene is in a relationship with Brian Glenn, who is the host of Real America's Voice.

Mr Glenn referred to himself as the other half of "MAGA America's favourite couple" in an interview with Politico. He is chief White House correspondent for the right-wing streaming channel, which grants him access to the White House press pool. Real America's Voice has supported numerous conspiracy theories in the past and helps distribute former Trump adviser Stephen K Bannon's War Room podcast, after he was barred from YouTube, Spotify and other mainstream platforms.