Trump Proposes Renaming New Mexico to 'New America' — Internet Has Questions

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has once again turned his attention to geography, proposing that the state of New Mexico be renamed "New America" in a series of social media posts on Sunday .

The proposal comes just days after Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" amid escalating trade tensions with Canada, and follows his January 2025 order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" .

The Proposal

"Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico, one of the great vote cheating states of all time, to NEW AMERICA," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!" .

The president accompanied the post with an AI-generated video showing himself walking toward a "Welcome to New Mexico" sign, slapping an "America" sticker over "Mexico," and doing his trademark dance to the Village People's "Y.M.C.A." . The official White House X account reposted a map showing the word "Mexico" crossed out and replaced with "America" .

The Internet Reacts

The internet wasted no time responding. Memes flooded social media, with users mocking the proposal as a desperate distraction from the administration's mounting problems .

The anti-Trump PAC Lincoln Project responded on X with a pointed reminder: "Trump's approval rating with independents has dropped to 24%, by the way," citing an NBC News poll .

Conservative commentator Matt Walsh described the proposal as a political "gift" to Democrats, arguing that Republicans' primary challenge ahead of the midterms is convincing voters they have used their time in office to advance Americans' interests .

One user commented underneath the White House's post: "A toddler tantrum" .

Bipartisan Backlash

The proposal drew immediate rejection from New Mexico's leaders — even those in Trump's own party.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) fired back on X: "New Mexico's name isn't up for debate — it's been ours since before the United States existed" . She accused Trump of trying to "distract Americans from his disastrous war in Iran" while gas prices keep soaring .

Republican gubernatorial nominee Gregg Hull also rejected the idea: "New Mexico does not need a new name. This state carries the history of Native nations and Spanish explorers who named this land nearly five hundred years ago... That identity is not up for negotiation" .

Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) was blunt: "Oh hell no! Our state's name carries generations of history, culture, and family — and it belongs to us. We're New Mexicans. Period" .

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) wrote: "Three things I will always call by their actual names... The Gulf of Mexico. Lake Ontario. New Mexico" .

Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) added: "It's New Mexico, always has been and always will be. Just like how you'll always be a sinvergüenza and corrupt" — a Spanish insult meaning "shameless person" .

Can Trump Actually Rename New Mexico?

The short answer is no. Unlike the Gulf of Mexico or Lake Ontario — geographic features that can be renamed for federal government use by executive order — a president has no authority to unilaterally rename a state .

New Mexico's name is enshrined in Article I of the state constitution, which states: "The name of this state is New Mexico" . Changing it would require amending the state constitution through a legislative process and a voter referendum .

A Pattern of Renaming

Trump's proposal fits a broader pattern of geographic rebranding:

What Started It All?

The New Mexico proposal appears to have originated from an internet hoax. On Sept. 1, the parody social media account "Daily Noud" posted a fake image claiming Trump had signed an executive order renaming the state . Fact-checking website Snopes traced the claim to the satirical account and debunked it. But days later, Trump posted the renamed map himself, seemingly embracing the idea .

This story was updated with additional reactions.