In the most recent instance of his pursuit of geographical name changes that suit his political agenda, President Donald Trump urged New Mexico to rename itself "New America" on Monday.
"New Mexico ought to rename itself New America right away. Shortly before leaving the White House for a midterm rally in Kansas, Trump posted on Truth Social, "We are not Mexico, we are the United States of America."
His remarks regarding New Mexico, a blue state that he lost by six points in 2024, coincide with Republicans' concerns about maintaining their congressional majorities in November. According to polling, people believe the president is not giving the nation's most urgent issues enough attention.
Trump asserted that "home values and incomes would rise" as a result of a name change without providing any supporting data. "Maybe even the Crooked Elections, that New Mexico is known for, would become honest again," he added, reiterating his unfounded allegations of rigged elections.
Though not as strongly, Trump has previously proposed renaming New Mexico. He shared a map of the state on social media in September, with the words "Mexico" crossed out and "America" written underneath. The White House X account reposted the image.
This is merely Trump's most recent attempt at renaming. As part of his ongoing trade war with Canada, he issued an executive order in August to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America." Last year, he changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America." Additionally, the president has suggested calling the Strait of Hormuz the "Trump Strait" on multiple occasions.
However, Trump lacks the constitutional authority to formally rename states, even though he has the authority to change the names of geographical landmarks, including bodies of water, in the Geographic Names Information System. That procedure would have to take place inside the state.
According to a Bureau of Indian Affairs information sheet on state name origins, New Mexico's name dates back to the 16th century, before the United States was founded.
Michelle Lujan Grisham, the Democratic governor of New Mexico, brushed off Trump's remarks on Monday nite.
In a post on X, she stated, "Let me repeat: New Mexico was New Mexico long before the United States existed and we'll be New Mexico forevermore."
In a social media post, New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Luján stated that the state's name "carries generations of history, culture, and rich traditions that continue to shape who we are."
"We're from New Mexico. We are proud of both our house and our name, and we plan to maintain both. We'll remain New Mexico long after Donald Trump leaves office," he went on.
