President Donald Trump on Sunday proposed renaming New Mexico to "New America" through posts on Truth Social and the White House's X account. The image shared depicted the state with "Mexico" crossed out and "America" written in its place. This move comes after Trump signed an executive order to change Lake Ontario to "Lake America" amidst tensions with Canada.
While the President has the authority to rename geographical landmarks within the Geographic Names Information System, he lacks the constitutional power to legally rename states, as this process would require action from within the state itself. Previously, Trump had also attempted to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and restore Mt. Denali's name to Mt. McKinley.
New Mexico's Democratic officials strongly opposed the suggestion. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham stated that New Mexico's name is not up for debate, emphasizing the state's historical identity predating the United States. She accused Trump of using such proposals as a distraction from pressing issues like the war in Iran, rising gas prices, and healthcare access. Other Democratic leaders, including Rep. Melanie Stansbury and Sens. Ben Ray Lujan and Martin Heinrich, echoed these sentiments, criticizing the president for engaging in "memes" and "harassing" the state while significant national and economic challenges persist.
