Trump floats renaming New Mexico
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The gist
President Trump wrote on Truth Social that New Mexico should "immediately change its name to New America."
A rename needs state legislators and voters, not a presidential order.
Background
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has repeatedly floated renaming geographic places: in 2025 he ordered the Gulf of Mexico renamed the "Gulf of America" and Denali re-renamed Mount McKinley, and in 2026 he ordered Lake Ontario renamed "Lake America." He first raised the New Mexico idea in September 2026 and returned to it on Truth Social on Oct 19, 2026. Unlike the water bodies, which he renamed by executive order, New Mexico's name is written into the state constitution, so changing it would require the state legislature to pass a constitutional amendment approved by voters in a statewide ballot initiative. The renewed push came two weeks before the midterms.
How it unfolded
- 2025 -01Trump signed an executive order mandating the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the "Gulf of America" and Denali be re-renamed Mount McKinley.
- Aug 27, 2026Trump ordered Lake Ontario, shared with Canada, renamed "Lake America."
- Sep 7, 2026Trump said a New Mexico name change would make the state "much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible state."
- Oct 12, 2026At a Tennessee rally, Trump floated renaming the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean "Trump Ocean."
- Oct 19, 2026Trump wrote on Truth Social that "New Mexico should immediately change its name to New America," saying the name would add value and prestige and that "maybe even the Crooked Elections" would become honest.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Trump said the name "would add great value and prestige to the State," that home values and incomes would rise, and that elections "New Mexico is known for" might become honest.
- Governor
- New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) said the name "is not a matter for debate" and "has been ours since before the United States existed."
- Republican
- Republican gubernatorial candidate Gregg Hull said "New Mexico does not need a new name" and that its identity "is not up for negotiation."
- Democrat
- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland rejected the suggestion.
Still unverified
It is unclear why Trump brought up the "New America" name change again on social media.