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US President Donald Trump has suggested renaming the state of New Mexico as “New America”, the latest in a series of controversial proposals and decisions involving the names of major geographical locations.
In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said many people had suggested changing the state’s name.
“Many people have suggested that New Mexico be renamed New America,” Trump wrote, adding that it would be “a much more dignified and beautiful name” for what he described as a potentially great state.
The White House also reposted an image in which the word “Mexico” in the state’s name had been crossed out and replaced with “America”, further fuelling debate over whether the proposal was serious. Some US media reports said the idea had initially circulated online as a rumour before gaining wider attention.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham dismissed the suggestion, saying the state’s name was not open for debate and had existed long before the founding of the United States.
She accused Trump of attempting to divert Americans’ attention from domestic issues, including rising gasoline prices.
Trump’s latest suggestion follows his recent decision to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in US federal usage. He signed an executive order on August 27 directing the Interior Department and the US Board on Geographic Names to update federal records accordingly. Canada, however, has rejected the change and continues to use the name Lake Ontario.
Trump had previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for US federal purposes after returning to the White House in January 2025, a move that was also rejected by Mexico and remains controversial internationally.
The latest proposal has added to criticism and debate over Trump’s continuing campaign to rename prominent geographical locations in the name of American identity and sovereignty.