Trump Shares Image On Truth Social Renaming New Mexico as "New America"
-
Post By
Emmie
- September 7, 2026
President Donald Trump stirred up controversy on Sunday after sharing an image on Truth Social that depicted New Mexico rebranded as "New America," which was reshared by the White House's official account on X without any added context or formal policy announcements.
The image shows an outline of the Southwestern state featuring the word "Mexico" crossed out in bright red ink and replaced with "America." Neither the White House nor the president provided explanatory text alongside the social media posts.
State officials quickly dismissed the post and criticized the White House for focusing on map edits rather than pressing economic concerns.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham responded to the post during an interview with Fox News Digital, saying that it “isn't up for debate — it's been ours since before the United States existed."
"Under Democratic leadership here in New Mexico, we’re providing families with free childcare and college, protecting access to health care and investing in housing. While the White House wastes time coloring on maps, Nuevo México is busy doing the work."
In a separate statement posted to X, Governor Lujan Grisham added:
“While the President tries to distract Americans from his disastrous war in Iran, gas prices keep soaring. While the White House wastes time coloring on maps, Nuevo México is busy doing the work.”
Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich also weighed in via social media:
“Three things I will always call by their actual names. The Gulf of Mexico. Lake Ontario. New Mexico.”
The online post follows previous executive orders signed by Trump aimed at altering geographic names in federal databases:
- Gulf of Mexico: Renamed "Gulf of America" for federal use via executive order on his first day back in office in January 2025.
- Lake Ontario: Renamed "Lake America" via executive order on August 27th following trade disputes with Canada.
Major digital navigation platforms, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Microsoft Bing Maps, subsequently updated domestic labels for both bodies of water to align with the revised federal Geographic Names Information System.
However, while executive authority permits the president to adjust how domestic geographical features like lakes and gulfs are classified for federal government usage, a president lacks constitutional authority to unilaterally rename a U.S. state. Such changes must originate within state legislative processes.
The designation "New Mexico" originates from the Spanish "Nuevo México," which was coined by 16th-century Spanish explorers centuries before the region achieved U.S. statehood on January 6th, 1912.
