Trump Pushes Nationalist Agenda, Labels New Mexico as 'New America' After Lake Renaming Stunt
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President Donald Trump escalated his campaign of nationalist rebranding by sharing an image that erases New Mexico's identity, calling it 'New America,' following his executive order to rename Lake Ontario. State officials condemned the move, clarifying there is no official plan to change the state's name.
President Donald Trump, continuing his pattern of divisive and performative nationalism, posted a map on his social media platform that crudely strikes out 'Mexico' and replaces it with 'America' over the outline of New Mexico. This comes just days after he signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America,' a move widely criticized as a distraction from substantive issues. The White House amplified this rhetoric by resharing the image on the X platform, but offered no explanation for the provocative post.
Legal experts have pointed out that while the president can manipulate names in the federal Geographic Names Information System, he has no authority to unilaterally rename a state—such a change requires action by the state itself, not a top-down decree from Washington.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham responded forcefully on X, asserting that the state's name is not up for debate and accusing Trump of using these stunts to divert attention from real problems facing the country. Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich also rejected Trump's map, reaffirming his commitment to using the established names for the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, and New Mexico.
The name 'New Mexico' has deep historical roots dating back to the 16th century, as documented by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Trump's repeated use of executive orders to rename bodies of water—including his earlier attempt to rebrand the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America'—reflects a pattern of erasing cultural and historical identities in favor of a narrow nationalist agenda.