US President Donald Trump has floated the idea of renaming the state of New Mexico “New America”, drawing an immediate rejection from the state’s governor.
Trump made the suggestion on social media, saying that “many people” had proposed changing New Mexico’s name to “NEW AMERICA”, which he described as “more prestigious and beautiful”.
The White House also shared an image depicting the word “Mexico” crossed out from the state’s name and replaced with “America”.
Some US media reports suggested that the proposal may have originated as an internet hoax.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham rejected the idea, telling Fox News that the state’s name “isn’t up for debate” and has been in use since before the United States was established.
She accused Trump of seeking to distract Americans from domestic concerns, including rising fuel prices.
Trump’s latest suggestion comes amid a series of proposals and moves involving the renaming of geographic landmarks. Last week, he suggested calling the Strait of Hormuz the “Trump Strait” amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, although he later appeared to indicate that he was not serious about the proposal.
In 2025, shortly after returning to the White House, Trump ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the “Gulf of America”. Mexico rejected the move.
Trump has also faced opposition from Canada over his attempt to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”.
