Florida and National lawmakers react to the installation of the new pope, and the House votes to change the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
U.S. officials applaud the election of the first American pontiff
Leaders across the U.S. congratulated Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first American to be elected as pontiff in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, saying that he looks forward to meeting the new pontiff in what he envisions will be a “very meaningful moment.”
“It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country,” Trump wrote.
While answering questions from reporters later on Thursday afternoon outside of the White House, Trump reiterated his comment, saying, “To have the pope from the United States of America, that is a great honor.”
Trump was asked if he regretted posting an image created by artificial intelligence over the weekend of himself dressed as the pope, and he declined to respond.
Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order, selected the name Pope Leo XIV for his papacy. He was born in Chicago, but spent much of his adult life in Peru and Italy.
Vice President JD Vance, an adult convert to Catholicism, wrote a message congratulating Prevost, saying: “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church.”
Prevost also has a connection to Pennsylvania, where he attended Villanova University.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called Prevost’s election a “historic moment” and said that he ushers in a new chapter “at a time when we need compassion, unity, and peace.”
Villanova President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue shared a message with the school’s community, praising Prevost, who received both his bachelor’s degree in math in 1977 as well as an honorary doctor of humanities in 2014 from the university.
“With today’s election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, I cannot help but reflect on what his Augustinian papacy will mean to our University community and our world,” Donohue wrote.
He concluded his message by calling on the university community to take time for prayer, reflection and thoughtful discourse.
“May his leadership strengthen our resolve, inspire meaningful action, and remind us that as educators, students and individuals, we are called not only to learn but also to lead with courage, wisdom and faith,” Donohue wrote.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement expressing his “heartfelt congratulations” to the new pope during “a moment of profound significance” for the church. Rubio is a Catholic of Cuban heritage who went through a religious journey as an adult, exploring other faiths, including Mormonism, before arriving back at Catholicism
“The papacy carries a sacred and solemn responsibility,” Rubio’s message said. “May the Holy Spirit impart wisdom, strength, and grace as he shepherds the Church. The United States looks forward to deepening our enduring relationship with the Holy See with the first American pontiff.”
Several elected officials expressed their well wishes for the new pontiff on social media.
Former President Joe Biden, just the second Catholic president in history, reacted as well, saying he and former first lady Jill Biden wish him success.
And former President Barack Obama, who, like the new pope, hails from Chicago, called it, “A historic day for the united states, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the catholic church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith.”
Prevost is no stranger to social media. In recent weeks, he has made multiple posts to “X,” criticizing the Trump administration, including its immigration and deportation policies.
House follows Trump’s lead with a vote to change the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’
The Republican-led House passed a bill Thursday that would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and direct federal agencies to update their documents and maps to incorporate the new name.
President Donald Trump already signed an executive order during his first day in office to rename the Gulf. House Republicans are looking to show their support, though it is unclear whether he Senate will go along. The bill passed by a vote of 211-206.
The body of water has shared borders between the United States and Mexico. Trump’s order only carries authority within the U.S. Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change.
Democrats said the vote demonstrated that Republicans are not focusing on the priorities of most Americans. New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House’s top Democrat, asked Democrats to vote against this “silly, small-minded and sycophantic piece of legislation.”
“It’s easy to mock this legislation because it’s so inane and embarrassing — and we have,” said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa. “But it’s very existence and the fact that House Republicans have chosen to waste time and taxpayer dollars to bring it up for a vote, is worth considering.”
Republicans said the nomenclature of the Gulf extended back to a time before the U.S. existed and when Spanish influence over Central American and the Caribbean was at its zenith. But now, it is the U.S. that dominates economic activity in the Gulf.
“In short, this legislation recognizes the strategic influence America has over this geography, not to mention the existing economic, cultural, and commercial might that we passively exert on the Gulf,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.
