US President Donald Trump has floated another controversial name change, suggesting that the state of New Mexico could be renamed “New America.”
The proposal, made on social media on Sunday, was quickly rejected by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who insisted that the state’s historic name is not open for discussion.
Trump said he had received suggestions from members of the public to replace “New Mexico” with “New America,” arguing that the proposed name would give the state greater prestige.
The White House subsequently amplified the idea by sharing an image depicting “Mexico” crossed out and replaced with “America.”
The suggestion comes days after Trump backed another controversial geographical renaming involving Canada, and amid his broader push to alter the names of prominent international landmarks.
Lujan Grisham dismissed the proposal, noting that New Mexico’s name predates the establishment of the United States. She accused Trump of using the controversy to divert attention from domestic concerns, including rising fuel prices.
Trump has previously proposed other high-profile renamings. Shortly after returning to office in 2025, he ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be referred to as the Gulf of America by the US government, a move Mexico rejected.
He has also floated the idea of renaming the Strait of Hormuz as the Trump Strait amid the conflict involving Iran, although he later appeared to back away from the suggestion.
Trump’s latest proposal has added another chapter to his administration’s increasingly unconventional approach to geographical names, while officials in affected regions and neighbouring countries have continued to reject several of his renaming efforts.
