Trump says New Mexico should 'immediately' change its name to New America
The US President repeated a proposal he first made in September. He cannot rename a state himself; New Mexico's name is set in its constitution, and state officials from both parties have rejected the idea.
US President Donald Trump said New Mexico should rename itself “New America”, in a post on Truth Social at 7:06pm GMT on Monday 19 October (3:06pm Monday, Washington time).
“New Mexico should immediately change its name to New America. We are not Mexico, we are the United States of America! The name would add great value and prestige to the State! Home Values and Incomes would rise, and you would be even prouder while saluting our beautiful American Flag! Maybe even the Crooked Elections, that New Mexico is known for, would become honest again!” Trump wrote.
Post by Donald J. Trump on Truth Social, 19 October 2026, 7:06pm GMT
Trump first raised the idea on 6 September, when he posted a map of the state with “Mexico” crossed out and replaced with “America”, NBC News and The Hill reported. The Washington Post reported that he can rename geographic features such as bodies of water for federal use, as he did with the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario, but lacks the authority to rename a state. The state constitution opens with “The name of this state is New Mexico”, and changing it would require New Mexico’s voters to amend it, NBC News reported.
In September, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said on X that the state’s name “isn’t up for debate”. The Republican candidate for governor, Gregg Hull, said in a statement that New Mexico “does not need a new name”, according to NBC News. Greg Cunningham, a Republican running for the state’s 2nd Congressional District, said in a debate on Friday that the change is “not something that’s legislatively possible, so nothing’s going to change”, The Washington Post reported.
No response from New Mexico state officials to Monday’s post had been reported as of 8:45pm GMT.
See also: Trump’s approval falls to record low of 33% in Post-ABC-Ipsos poll
Sources
- Post by Donald J. Trump on Truth Social · Truth Social
- Trump says New Mexico should 'immediately' change name to New America · The Washington Post
- New Mexico Democrats push back over Trump posts about renaming the state 'New America' · NBC News
- New Mexico governor rips Trump's 'New America' post, says name 'isn't up for debate' · The Hill
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