'The View' co-host rages at America's name: 'Why is it named after a White man?'
"The View" co-host Joy Behar complained during the show on Thursday that America was named after a White man, Amerigo Vespucci, while discussing the Gulf of America renaming.
"The View" co-host Joy Behar went on a rant about where America got its name on Thursday as the co-hosts discussed President Donald Trump renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
"This country that we're in was settled by indigenous people, right? And yet they named the country after an Italian White man, Amerigo Vespucci. That's what America is named after, Amerigo Vespucci, a White European," she said.
"Why was it named after a White man if it was settled by indigenous people?" Behar continued.
The co-hosts discussed the Trump White House barring the Associated Press from an event at the Oval Office on Tuesday for the outlet's refusal to use the term "Gulf of America" in accordance with President Trump’s executive order renaming the body of water between the United States and Mexico.
"The View" co-host Joy Behar unloaded on the name of the U.S., America, during a rant on Thursday, complaining that it's named after a White man. (Screenshot/ABC/TheView)
Co-host Sara Haines said the renaming of bodies of water was relatively common.
"The body of water south of China, which much of the world calls the South China Sea, China calls it South Sea, Vietnam calls it Eastern Sea and the Philippines has designated parts of it the West Philippines Sea," she said. "So it happens."
Behar then made the argument that Trump shouldn't be focused on renaming the body of water.
"But why does he care about it when the prices are going up on the eggs?" she said. "People did not vote to rename the Gulf of Mexico."
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President Donald Trump speaks about the economy during an event at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025.? (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
"Plastic straws and the Gulf of America, give me a break," the liberal co-host added.
AP Executive Editor Julie Pace said the outlet was barred from attending a White House signing of executive orders by Trump.
"It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism," Pace said in a statement. "Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment."
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Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said she didn't have a problem with the renaming, and argued it was more inclusive.
"I don’t hate renaming the Gulf of America, and I’m going to tell you why. It’s a more inclusive term. It is North America, Mexico and the United States are part of the Americas. It would be petty if he called it the ‘Gulf of the United States,’" she said. "These are the things Donald Trump does to trigger reaction from the media."
Fox News' Alexa Moutevelis and David Spector contributed to this report.
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