Trump Floats Renaming New Mexico to 'New America'

US President Donald Trump has suggested renaming the southwestern state of New Mexico to "New America," writing on his Truth Social platform that many people had contacted him with this proposal. Trump called the new name "so much more prestigious and beautiful" for the state and expressed enthusiasm with three exclamation points. The White House also circulated a map showing the word "Mexico" crossed out and replaced with "America." Media reports indicate the idea originated as an internet joke before being amplified by Trump's post.

Governor Pushes Back

New Mexico's Democratic Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, responded immediately. "The name New Mexico is not up for debate," she wrote on X, pointing out that the state's name predates the United States itself. She accused Trump of using the renaming debate as a distraction from more serious issues — specifically the ongoing Iran war and a sharp rise in gasoline prices. While the White House spent time "coloring in maps," her administration was focused on improving healthcare and expanding free childcare, she wrote — signing her post with the Spanish-language version of the state name, Nuevo México, a reference to the region's deep Hispanic heritage.

A Pattern of Geographic Renamings

The New Mexico suggestion fits into a broader pattern. One of Trump's first acts after returning to the White House in early 2025 was renaming the Gulf of Mexico "the Gulf of America." Just days ago, he ordered that Lake Ontario, on the US-Canada border, be renamed "Lake America" — a move made amid a trade dispute with Ottawa. At the signing ceremony, Trump hinted at further changes, saying the US now had "a gulf and a lake" and might soon need to rename "the Atlantic and/or the Pacific." Trump had also floated calling the Strait of Hormuz the "Trump Strait" during the Iran conflict but later said the suggestion was not serious. Whether he intends to formally pursue renaming New Mexico remains unclear.