Trump posts map labeling New Mexico as "New America" after lake renaming order
President Donald Trump shared an image on his social platform that replaces the name "New Mexico" with "New America," following an executive order that renamed Lake Ontario. State officials said the post does not reflect any official effort to change the state's name.
President Donald Trump posted a map on his social media platform that crosses out the word "Mexico" and replaces it with "America" over the outline of the state, days after he signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America." The image was reshared by the White House on the X platform, but no accompanying explanation was provided.
Legal experts note that while the president can direct changes to geographic names in the federal Geographic Names Information System, renaming a state requires action by the state itself, not a presidential decree.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham responded on X, saying the state's name is not subject to debate and accusing the president of diverting attention from other issues. Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich also rejected the map, stating he will continue to use the established names for the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, and New Mexico.
The name "New Mexico" dates back to the 16th century, according to a Bureau of Indian Affairs fact sheet. Trump has previously used executive orders to rename bodies of water, including the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" earlier this year, and has hinted at further changes to major geographic features.