Trump’s latest push takes aim at state name in bid to remake nation’s maps across US
Trump revives name proposal
Trump said New Mexico should become “New America,” reviving an idea he has raised before. In a post, he claimed the new name would increase home values and incomes and make residents prouder of the American flag.
He also suggested that elections in the state might become honest under a different name. The article reports his allegation about elections but provides no evidence for it.
Candidate video uses new name
Trump used “New America” while endorsing Greg Cunningham, a Republican running for Congress in New Mexico. In a video, he greeted viewers as residents of New America and described the state as formerly known as New Mexico. Trump previously said residents of New Mexico would decide whether to change the name. He nevertheless called the idea a “beautiful change.”
State officials push back
Democratic Governor Lujan Grisham opposed the proposal when Trump raised it in September. She said the state’s name was not open for debate and had been in use before the United States existed.
Grisham redirected attention to the needs of working families, saying those issues were up for debate. The article does not report any official move to rename the state.
Earlier federal renaming order
Trump’s New Mexico proposal echoes an executive order from January 2025, titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.” It changed the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the Gulf of America and restored Mount McKinley as the name for Alaska’s Denali. While signing the order in August, Trump also discussed the possibility of renaming oceans.
Key points
- Trump has again proposed changing New Mexico’s name to “New America.”
- He used the proposed name in a video endorsing congressional candidate Greg Cunningham.
- Governor Lujan Grisham rejected the idea and said the name was not up for debate.
- A 2025 executive order renamed the Gulf of Mexico and restored Mount McKinley’s name.