US President Donald Trump speaks about the conflict in Iran in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on April 6, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP)
President Donald Trump has suggested changing the name of the US state of New Mexico to “New America,” describing it as a more prestigious name.
In a post on social media on Sunday, Trump wrote, “Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico… to NEW AMERICA. So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!”
The White House also shared an image showing the word “Mexico” crossed out and replaced with “America.”
The proposal came just days after Trump signed an order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” amid trade tensions with Canada.
However, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham quickly rejected the suggestion.
She told Fox News, “The name isn’t up for debate — it’s been ours since before the United States existed.”
The governor also accused the president of trying to “distract Americans” from issues such as rising gas prices.
Trump has recently floated several renaming proposals, including changing the Strait of Hormuz to “Trump Strait,” while his earlier decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” has also been rejected by Mexico, with Canada opposing the proposed Lake Ontario name change.
