Donald Trump suggests renaming New Mexico to New America

On September 6, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested via his Truth Social platform that the state of New Mexico should be renamed "New America." The proposal was accompanied by a digital image showing the state's name with "Mexico" crossed out and replaced by "America." The White House subsequently reshared the post on X, though no official policy change has been announced.

This suggestion follows a series of recent executive actions by Trump, including an order to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" and a January 2025 decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America." While the President holds authority over the naming of certain geographic landmarks through the Geographic Names Information System, constitutional law dictates that the power to rename states resides within the states themselves.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has publicly rejected the proposal, characterizing the move as an attempt to distract from falling popularity and other political difficulties. While the White House has not clarified the intent behind the social media post, legal experts note that the President lacks the authority to enforce such a change, leaving the state’s official designation unaffected by these statements.