US President Donald Trump has renewed his call to rename New Mexico as New America, asserting that the move would increase local property values, incomes, and state pride. Writing on Truth Social, Trump argued that the state belongs to the United States and not Mexico, stating that the new name would add great prestige and prestige. He also suggested that the change might bring honesty to what he termed crooked elections in the state, though he provided no evidence to support his claims regarding economic growth or voting integrity.
This latest statement revives a concept Trump initially introduced the previous month by sharing a modified map image, an action that was also amplified by the White House on social media and drew immediate pushback from local leaders. He previously pitched the idea during a speech at the Republican National Committee's Midterm Convention, claiming that local residents favored the proposal.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham rejected the suggestion, emphasizing that the state name is not up for debate and predates the formation of the United States. She criticized the administration for focusing on distractions rather than pressing issues like education, healthcare, and housing.
There is no formal mechanism or process underway to rename the state. New Mexico's official designation is codified in Article I of its state constitution, and a US president lacks the authority to alter a state name through executive orders or social media posts.
This push aligns with other recent geographic renaming efforts by the administration. Earlier actions included directing federal agencies to use the term Gulf of America instead of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as signing an executive order to refer to Lake Ontario as Lake America for official purposes, which similarly encountered opposition from Canadian officials.