President Donald Trump has ignited a firestorm of criticism from New Mexico's Democratic leadership with social media posts proposing the state be renamed 'New America.' The posts, which included an AI-altered meme showing the state's name altered and an AI video of Trump altering a welcome sign, were met with immediate and forceful pushback from state officials.
Senator Ben Ray Lujan responded to the proposal by stating, "It's New Mexico, always has been and always will be." He added, "Just like how you'll always be a sinvergüenza and corrupt," using the Spanish term for a shameless person or scoundrel.
Democratic Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury expressed her strong disapproval, writing, "Oh hell no! Our state's name carries generations of history, culture, and family—and it belongs to us. We're New Mexicans. Period."
Trump initially shared an AI-altered meme on Sunday, depicting the state's map with "Mexico" crossed out and replaced with "America." This move followed similar provocations, such as renaming the Lake of Ontario to the Lake of America and the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The posts were reportedly made from Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey, golf resort during the long Labor Day weekend.
After the initial wave of criticism, Trump seemingly amplified the controversy by posting an AI video of himself altering a "Welcome to New Mexico" sign to "Welcome to New America" and performing his signature dual fist-pump dance.
State officials emphasized the historical significance of New Mexico's name. Senator Martin Heinrich asserted, "Three things I will always call by their actual names... The Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, New Mexico." Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham echoed this sentiment, stating, "New Mexico's name isn't up for debate — it's been ours since before the United States existed." She also suggested the renaming posts were a distraction from other issues, such as "price hikes associated with the Iran war," and that while the "White House wastes time coloring on maps, Nuevo México is busy doing the work."
It is important to note that the president does not possess the authority to unilaterally rename a state. Any alteration to New Mexico's name would require an amendment to its state Constitution, initiated from within the state itself.
This is not the first instance of New Mexico officials clashing with the Trump administration. Previously, the state's Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued the administration over its refusal to release files related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein's former estate, known as Zorro Ranch, located in New Mexico. Torrez alleged that the administration was obstructing his probe into the ranch, where victims claim trafficking occurred. The state's investigation into Zorro Ranch was reopened in February after Epstein files suggested it had not been fully examined in prior years. The Department of Justice had taken over the investigation in 2019 but, despite allegedly receiving information on potential conspirators, reportedly did not investigate the property or bring charges against them.