Trump proposes renaming New Mexico 'New America'; Democrats and state officials reject idea
President Trump suggested renaming the state of New Mexico to 'New America' during Labor Day weekend, prompting unified opposition from Democratic leaders and even the Republican gubernatorial nominee.
What happened
In early September 2025, Trump posted social media messages supporting a renaming of New Mexico to 'New America,' claiming he had received suggestions for the change and calling it 'more prestigious and beautiful.' The administration moved to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' in January 2025 and Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' in August. Democratic state leaders—Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, and House Representative Melanie Stansbury—swiftly rejected the proposal. Republican gubernatorial nominee Greg Hull also denounced the suggestion. All emphasized New Mexico's historical identity rooted in Native American nations and Spanish heritage dating back nearly 500 years.
Context
The timing of Trump's proposal coincided with escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and Mexico and occurred as Democratic officials pointed to his administration's military actions in Iran and rising domestic prices as more pressing concerns. Legally, the federal government lacks authority to change a state's name; any renaming would require New Mexico voters to approve a constitutional amendment. The unified rejection across political lines underscores that the proposal has no viable path to implementation and reflects resistance to what state leaders characterized as distraction from economic and foreign policy issues.