Trump proposes renaming New Mexico as "New America" prompting state officials' backlash

President Donald Trump shared a social-media image on September 6 that replaced the word "Mexico" on a map of New Mexico with "America," implying the state should be renamed "New America." The White House reposted the image during the Labor Day weekend, and Trump later posted an AI-generated video showing himself altering a welcome sign on the state's road and dancing to a popular song.

State officials condemned the proposal. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland wrote, "You can’t be serious. New Mexico is not for renaming. Not up for sale. My promise: I’ll always stand up for what makes New Mexico, New Mexico." U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez added, "You don’t get to erase New Mexico. Not our name. Not our history. Not our culture. The President may want to call us 'New America,' but we know who we are."

Both U.S. senators from the state also responded. Senator Martin Heinrich said he will always refer to the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario and New Mexico by their actual names, while Senator Ben Ray Luján emphasized that the state's name will remain unchanged. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said the name is not up for debate and noted that state officials are focused on governance rather than map alterations.

The "New America" map originated from a parody account that posted a fabricated image on September 1, labeling it as a fake story. Similar variations circulated on other platforms, and fact-checking organizations identified the content as a false claim.

Political analysts noted that Trump's suggestion comes amid a low approval rating, with recent polls showing about 36 percent approval. Critics have suggested the renaming idea serves as a distraction from broader policy issues.