Donald Trump Proposes Renaming New Mexico to New America

President Donald Trump proposed renaming the state of New Mexico to New America in a series of Truth Social posts on September 6, 2026. The posts included AI-generated images and a video depicting the state's name being replaced, which the White House subsequently amplified on X. Trump characterized the proposed name as more prestigious and beautiful, while simultaneously alleging that New Mexico is one of the great vote-cheating states of all time.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and other state officials, including Republican gubernatorial nominee Gregg Hull, rejected the proposal. Lujan Grisham stated the state's name is not up for debate and accused the president of attempting to distract the public from rising fuel prices and a six-month military conflict with Iran. Legal analysts noted that while the president can rename federal geographic landmarks, he lacks the constitutional authority to unilaterally rename a state, a process that would require state legislative action and voter approval.

This proposal is part of a broader pattern of geographic rebranding under the executive order Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness. Trump has already renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and Lake Ontario to Lake America, the latter occurring amid a trade war with Canada. Other actions include reverting Mount Denali to Mount McKinley and suggesting the Strait of Hormuz be renamed the Trump Strait. While Google and Apple updated their maps for U.S. users to reflect federal changes, MapQuest refused to comply.