According to the Washington Examiner, President Trump proposed once again on Monday that the state of New Mexico be renamed “New America.” He claimed that such a change would boost local property values and resident incomes, while also enhancing the state’s overall value and prestige.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote: “New Mexico should immediately change its name to New America. We are not Mexico; we are the United States of America!”
He further asserted that the name change would bring greater value and prestige to the state—predicting that “home prices and incomes would go up”—and that residents would feel a greater sense of pride when saluting the American flag. Trump even added a jab, suggesting that “perhaps even New Mexico’s elections—notorious for fraud—could finally become fair and honest!”
Trump first floated this idea last September. At that time, he had also proposed renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” and in 2025, he suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”
However, while Trump previously attempted to unilaterally rename those bodies of water via executive order, changing the name of a state is a different matter entirely. Because the name “New Mexico” is explicitly enshrined in the state’s constitution, a president cannot simply change it through an executive order.
The formal process would require the state legislature to pass a constitutional amendment, which would then need to be approved by the state’s voters in a referendum. Despite Trump’s repeated suggestions, the idea has gained little traction among politicians within the state.
Several state officials, including Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, have opposed the proposal. Additionally, both candidates vying for the governorship—Democrat Deb Haaland and Republican Gregg Hull—have also expressed their opposition. Herrell stated last month, “New Mexico does not need a name change. This state carries the history of Indigenous peoples and the Spanish explorers who named this land nearly 500 years ago; it also bears the efforts of generations of families who together built the New Mexico we know today. This identity is not up for negotiation.”
Notably, Trump has not yet expressed support for Herrell’s gubernatorial bid.