Trump suggests renaming New Mexico state to New America

US President Donald Trump has suggested that New Mexico be renamed “New America”, adding another place to his recent list of proposed name changes.

In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said, “Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico… to NEW AMERICA. So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State.” The White House later reposted an edited map showing the word “Mexico” crossed out and replaced with “America.”

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham quickly dismissed the proposal, saying the state’s name is “not up for debate” because it existed long before the United States was founded. She accused Trump of trying to distract Americans from issues like rising fuel and grocery prices.

The suggestion comes days after Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for US federal use during an ongoing trade dispute with Canada. Earlier in his second term, he also renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” for federal agencies.

Unlike geographic features that can be renamed through executive action for federal use, a US president cannot unilaterally rename a state. Any official name change for New Mexico would require action beyond a presidential order. The name Nuevo México dates back to Spanish explorers in the late 1500s and was retained after the territory became part of the United States in 1848 before achieving statehood in 1912.

The White House has not announced any formal process to change the state’s name, and some US media reports said the idea began as an internet hoax before Trump embraced it online