Top political figures from New Mexico have strongly criticized former President Donald Trump's recent proposal to rename the state "New America." The suggestion, made by Trump on social media, drew sharp rebukes from Democratic senators and the state's governor.
Senator Ben Ray Luján responded directly to Trump on X, formerly Twitter, stating, "It’s New Mexico, always has been and always will be." He added a Spanish insult, calling Trump a "sinvergüenza," which translates to scoundrel or shameless.
Senator Martin Heinrich echoed Luján's sentiment, declaring, "Three things I will always call by their actual names... The Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, New Mexico." This statement alluded to Trump's earlier executive order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America during a trade dispute with Canada.
Governor Michelle Luján Grisham also rejected the renaming idea, asserting that New Mexico's name predates the existence of the United States. She criticized Trump's focus on renaming proposals, suggesting it was a distraction from pressing national issues such as the war in Iran, rising gas prices, increased grocery costs, healthcare access, and housing affordability. The governor highlighted her administration's efforts in New Mexico to provide free childcare and college, protect healthcare, and invest in housing, contrasting these actions with what she described as the White House "wasting time coloring on maps."
Trump had initially posted on Truth Social about the "New America" idea, suggesting it would be "so much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State."