President Donald Trump reignited controversy over territorial naming on Sunday by sharing a map that depicted New Mexico as “New America.” The image, posted without explanation and later amplified by the official White House social media account, was followed by an AI-generated video showing a figure resembling Trump replacing a “Welcome to New Mexico” sign with one reading “America.” Trump claimed the idea had been suggested by “many people,” though the White House has not announced any formal initiative to change the state’s name.
The proposal drew immediate condemnation from New Mexico’s Democratic leadership. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham asserted that the state’s identity was settled long before the United States was founded, stating, “New Mexico’s name isn’t up for debate—it’s been ours since before the United States existed.” She accused the administration of wasting time on symbolic gestures while the state focused on governance, and suggested the remarks were a distraction from the war in Iran and rising consumer prices.
Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is currently running for governor, emphasized that the state was not for sale. Senator Ben Ray Luján also rejected the notion, calling Trump “corrupt” and reaffirming that the state would remain New Mexico. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah offered a more receptive take, describing the name “New America” as “kind of catchy.”
This incident follows a pattern of Trump utilizing name changes as tools of political expression. In late August, he signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” amid trade tensions with Canada. The order applied only to U.S. federal references and digital maps like Google and Apple, but faced stiff opposition from lawmakers on both sides of the border.
Trump has frequently used similar actions to assert authority and challenge perceived adversaries. After returning to office last year, he renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” a change adopted by federal agencies and map services. He also successfully reinstated his surname on the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., following legal battles, and added his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace. Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, have labeled these initiatives as vanity projects designed to project power.
This feels like a bizarre power play disguised as patriotism. Really concerning.
Why are we wasting tax dollars on vanity renaming instead of fixing infrastructure?
To be fair, ‘New America’ does sound kinda catchy. Better than New Mexico, right?
Who has time for this when groceries cost more? Clearly a distraction from real issues.
My ancestors were here centuries before the US existed. This isn’t history, it’s erasure.