Donald Trump proposes renaming New Mexico to New America on Truth Social
Donald Trump posted an altered map suggesting New Mexico be renamed New America, drawing immediate rejection from state officials who noted presidents lack constitutional authority to rename states.
Proposal to rename New Mexico
Donald Trump published an image on Truth Social depicting the state of New Mexico with the word Mexico crossed out and replaced with America. The post appeared on Sunday, framing the potential modification as an honor for the state's population.
Many people have suggested changing the name of New Mexico to NEW AMERICA. So much more honored and more beautiful for the residents of this potentially incredible state. Wow, I love it!
The White House subsequently reposted the graphic on its official X account without providing an accompanying policy announcement, and the administration has not presented any formal plan to advance the change. News reporting noted that the concept had previously circulated as an online joke before being amplified by the presidential account.
Legal limits and presidential authority
Under federal administrative procedures, the President of the United States maintains the authority to alter the official designations of geographic features, including bodies of water and public lands, through the Geographic Names Information System. However, constitutional frameworks do not grant the federal executive the power to unilaterally rename an individual state. Legal scholars and official documentation confirm that any change to a state's name requires legislative and constitutional procedures at the state level. A fact sheet from the Bureau of Indian Affairs regarding state name origins notes that the designation of New Mexico dates back to the sixteenth century, well before the establishment of the American republic.
Reactions from New Mexico leaders
Elected officials representing New Mexico immediately rejected the suggestion and described the post as an attempt to divert attention from domestic and international difficulties. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, responded to the online statement during an appearance on Fox News.
The name of New Mexico is not up for debate, it is ours since before the founding of the US.
Lujan Grisham emphasized that the president was seeking to redirect public scrutiny away from climbing fuel prices and the conflict involving Iran. Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich also criticized the idea on social media, writing that he would always use the original names for the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, and New Mexico.
Pattern of geographic renaming initiatives
The social media post follows a series of unilateral renaming orders signed during Trump's presidency. In January 2025, on the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, a move that the Mexican government contested. In early September 2026, Trump signed another executive order to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America during trade disputes with Canada, which Canadian authorities promptly rejected.
- Signs executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on his first day in office.
- Military strikes against Iran begin, preceding a proposal to rename the Strait of Hormuz to Trump Strait.
- Signs executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America during trade disputes with Canada.
- Publishes altered map proposing to rename the state of New Mexico to New America.
Following the Lake Ontario decree, Trump indicated that he might seek to rename one of the two oceans bordering the United States, remarking that the administration had addressed a gulf and a lake and needed an ocean. Furthermore, Trump proposed renaming the Strait of Hormuz to the Trump Strait as the strategic waterway became a focal point in the Middle East war that began on 28 February with joint strikes against Iran.
