Trump Suggests Changing New Mexico’s Name To ‘New America’

US President Donald Trump’s penchant for renaming places took an unexpected turn on Sunday as he suggested changing the name of the state of New Mexico to “New America.”

The proposal was swiftly rejected by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who said the state’s name was not open for discussion.

“Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico… to NEW AMERICA,” Trump wrote on social media. “So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!”

The White House also shared an image depicting the word “Mexico” crossed out and replaced with “America.”

Some US media reports suggested that the idea originated as an internet hoax before Trump amplified it.

Lujan Grisham dismissed the proposal in an interview with Fox News, saying the name “isn’t up for debate” and noting that it dates back to before the United States was established.

She also accused Trump of trying to “distract Americans” from pressing domestic issues, including rising gasoline prices.

Trump’s latest suggestion comes amid a broader pattern of proposed geographical name changes. Last week, he floated renaming the Strait of Hormuz as “Trump Strait” amid the ongoing war with Iran, although he later appeared to suggest that he was not being serious.

On his first day back in the White House in 2025, Trump ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the “Gulf of America,” a move rejected by Mexico.

Canada has likewise rejected Trump’s attempt to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” which he proposed days earlier amid tensions with Ottawa over trade.