Μake us preferred on Google President Donald Trump spent part of the Labor Day holiday promoting the idea of changing New Mexico’s name to “New America,” posting several maps on social media that used the proposed name.
Trump said Sunday that people had suggested changing the state’s name and that he liked the idea, describing the proposed name as more “prestigious and beautiful” for what he called a potentially “incredible” state.
On Monday, he shared multiple maps of the United States in which New Mexico was labeled “New America.”
The posts came as trade negotiations with Mexico were becoming more tense.
Federal Government Cannot Rename a State
Despite Trump’s support, the federal government does not have the authority to change the name of a state.
New Mexico is governed by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has held office since January 1, 2019, and won reelection in 2022.
Lujan Grisham rejected the proposal in a post on X, saying New Mexico’s name was not open to discussion and had belonged to the state since before the United States existed.
Trump’s proposal follows another recent naming change promoted by the president. Last month, he signed an order changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America after trade negotiations with Canada failed to produce an agreement.
