Former President Donald Trump has recently shared several memes on social media suggesting the renaming of New Mexico to "New America." These posts emerged over a long weekend as Trump continued a pattern of targeting geographic names, including bodies of water, with proposals to incorporate "America" into their names.
While the president can unilaterally alter official U.S. federal government geographic names, changing a state's name is beyond his authority. The state constitution of New Mexico explicitly states its name is "New Mexico," and it was admitted to the Union as such in 1912.
Trump's posts, made while he was in Bedminster, New Jersey, drew swift criticism from New Mexico's elected officials. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham stated on X that the state's name is "not up for debate," emphasizing its historical existence prior to the United States. She contrasted Trump's social media activity with her administration's focus on issues such as providing free childcare and college, protecting healthcare access, and investing in housing for working families, while accusing the White House of being distracted.
U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, both representing New Mexico, also responded to the posts. Senator Heinrich affirmed his commitment to using the correct names for "The Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, New Mexico." Senator Luján echoed this sentiment, stating, "It's New Mexico, always has been and always will be."