Trump Proposes Renaming New Mexico to 'New America'

<p>The White House on Sunday shared President Donald Trump's suggestion to rename New Mexico as "New America," reposting an image from Trump's Truth Social account that shows the state's name crossed out and replaced with "America."</p><p>Trump's original post included a map of New Mexico with the word "Mexico" crossed out in red and replaced with "America," indicating the proposed name change.</p><p>The White House later shared this image on its verified X account. Neither post provided an explanation or indicated whether this proposal reflects an actual policy initiative.</p><p>This announcement follows Trump's recent executive order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for U.S. federal use, which was part of ongoing tariff disputes between the U.S. and Canada. Trump instructed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to update the Geographic Names Information System to reflect this name change, and both Google and Apple updated their maps accordingly.</p><p>Trump also signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" early in his second term.</p><p>However, unlike lakes and other geographic features that can be renamed through executive action, a president cannot unilaterally rename a U.S. state. As of now, Trump and the White House have not announced any formal effort to change New Mexico's name.</p><p>The name "New Mexico" has historical roots, dating back to the late 1500s when Spanish explorers referred to the region as "Nuevo México." The territory retained this name after becoming part of the United States in 1848 and later achieved statehood on January 6, 1912.</p><p>The White House and the Office of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham did not respond immediately to requests for comment.</p>