‘New America’? Trump’s Map Post Sparks Pushback From New Mexico Leaders
President Donald Trump posted an image on Truth Social on Sunday suggesting a name change for New Mexico, showing the state’s map with “Mexico” crossed out in red and replaced with the word “America.”
The post, which was later shared by the White House account on X, included no caption or formal policy explanation. The administration has not announced any official effort to change the state’s name. Under the U.S. Constitution, a president cannot unilaterally rename a state; any official name change must originate and pass through the state government itself.
The social media post follows several recent moves by Trump to rename major geographic landmarks. In January 2025, on his first day back in office, he signed an executive order directing the Geographic Names Information System to list the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” Late last month, amid trade disputes with Canada, he signed another order renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America.”
Following the Lake Ontario order, Trump hinted at targeting other major bodies of water. “We have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean. So, maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both,” he said.
New Mexico officials quickly pushed back on Sunday’s post.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham addressed the image on X, stating that “New Mexico’s name isn’t up for debate.”
“While the President tries to distract Americans from his disastrous war in Iran, gas prices keep soaring,” Lujan Grisham said. “While the White House wastes time coloring on maps, Nuevo México is busy doing the work.”
Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico also responded on X. “Three things I will always call by their actual names,” Heinrich wrote. “The Gulf of Mexico. Lake Ontario. New Mexico.”
According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the name “New Mexico” dates back to the 16th century, well before the founding of the United States.