President Donald Trump's social media posts showing New Mexico renamed as "New America" have been criticized by the state's largest newspaper as an "elementary" joke made by "immature people." Trump floated the idea of a name change for the Land of Enchantment on Sunday using an image of a New Mexico map, in which the word "Mexico" was crossed out with a red X and replaced with "America." The White House account on X shared a screenshot of Trump's post later that day. In another Truth Social post a few hours later, Trump shared an AI-generated video of himself walking in front of a sign that said, "Welcome to New Mexico," and placing a sticker of the word "America" on top. "Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico, one of the great vote cheating states of all time, to NEW AMERICA," the president wrote.
"So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State." Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has ordered the rebranding of geographic landmarks, including the Gulf of Mexico—which he renamed "Gulf of America"—and Lake Ontario, which he's designated "Lake America." In the case of New Mexico, Trump's name-change memes are much more shallow, as the president has no legal authority to rename any state. Still, his proposal has sparked a strong reaction from New Mexico's leadership and the Albuquerque Journal, the state's most widely read newspaper. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, responded to the president's posts on Instagram, writing: "New Mexico's name isn't up for debate—it's been ours since before the United States existed.
Who's showing up for working families." "Under Democratic leadership here in New Mexico, we're providing families with free childcare and college, protecting access to health care and investing in housing," she continued. "While the White House wastes time coloring on maps, Nuevo México is busy doing the work." Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who served under the Biden administration and is the Democratic nominee to replace term-limited Lujan Grisham, responded to the president's post on X, writing: "You can't be serious. New Mexico is not for renaming.
Not up for sale." Democratic lawmakers who represent the state in Congress also weighed in, with Representative Melanie Stansbury writing on X: "Oh hell no! Our state's name carries generations of history, culture, and family—and it belongs to us. Period." Senator Martin Heinrich wrote: "Three things I will always call by their actual names...
New Mexico." Representative Gabe Vasquez wrote: "You don't get to erase New Mexico. The president may want to call us 'New America,' but we know who we are." The backlash in New Mexico has extended beyond the Democratic ranks. Republican gubernatorial nominee Gregg Hull, the former mayor of Rio Rancho, said in a statement to the Albuquerque Journal: "New Mexico does not need a new name.
"This state carries the history of Native nations and Spanish explorers who named this land nearly 500 years ago, and generations of families who built New Mexico into what it is today. That identity is not up for negotiation." Newsweek contacted the Democratic Party of New Mexico, the Republican Party of New Mexico and the White House for comment by email on Monday. In an op-ed by journalist Ryan Boetel, the Albuquerque Journal was even more scathing, calling the president's name-change proposal "so elementary and such low-hanging fruit, the biggest surprise was that it took so long for him to make it." Boetel invited New Mexicans not to get worked up about the president's posts.
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