John Mellencamp expressed disapproval of President Trump’s directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the ‘Gulf of America.’ The singer, known for his song “Pink Houses” which references the Gulf, voiced his criticism during his “Dancing Words Tour.” Mellencamp interrupted his performances in New York and New Jersey to address the issue with his audience.
During a concert in Holmdel, New Jersey, Mellencamp mockingly questioned, “Wait a minute. The Gulf of Mexico? Is that right? It’s not the Gulf of America?” He followed this with, “What a stupid idea that is.” A separate video captured him pausing in the song to add, “They changed the name of it but I’m not buying it… That’s just not right.”
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle responded to Mellencamp’s comments, asserting, “Nobody in their right mind cares what out-of-touch, woke Hollywood celebrities have to say.”
Mellencamp, who resides in Bloomington, Indiana, has long distanced himself from Trump’s policies. In a 2017 MSNBC interview, he criticized Trump as the “worst president ever,” without mentioning his name explicitly. Mellencamp also commented on his distrust of politicians from all parties, stating, “I trust no politicians. None. Democrat, Republican, Independent — they all have an agenda.”
Trump enacted an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America.’ While the House passed a bill to support the name change, the Senate has yet to vote on it. Opponents, including many Democrats and some moderate Republicans, criticized the move as frivolous. Supporters, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, argued it would boost American pride, comparing the significance of names to that of naming a child.
Photo: John Mellencamp performing at Acrisure Amphitheater in Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 10, 2026.