The White House amplified a post from former President Donald Trump's Truth Social account that depicted the state of New Mexico as "New America." The reposting on X, formerly Twitter, comes days after Trump signed executive orders to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America" and the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for U.S. federal use.
Trump's original post featured a map of the Southwestern state with the word "Mexico" crossed out and replaced with "America." The White House later shared this image on its verified X account. Neither post provided an explanation or indicated if it represented a formal policy proposal.
The executive order renaming Lake Ontario followed a series of tariff disputes between Washington and Ottawa. Trump directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the department to update the Geographic Names Information System to reflect the name change, and Google and Apple subsequently updated their maps for U.S. users.
Unlike geographical features that can be renamed via executive action, a president cannot unilaterally rename a U.S. state. The name "New Mexico" has historical roots predating the state's establishment. Spanish explorers began using "Nuevo México" in the late 1500s, and the territory retained the name after becoming part of the United States in 1848 before achieving statehood on January 6, 1912.
The White House and the Office of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham did not immediately respond to requests for comment.