President Trump urges New Mexico to rename itself New America

On Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social urging the state of New Mexico to "immediately" change its name to "New America." In the post he wrote, "New Mexico should immediately change its name to New America. We are not Mexico, we are the United States of America!"

Trump added that the new name would "add great value and prestige to the State! Home Values and Incomes would rise, and you would be even prouder while saluting our beautiful American Flag!" He also suggested that the change could affect elections, writing, "Maybe even the Crooked Elections, that New Mexico is known for, would become honest again!" No evidence was provided to support the claimed economic or electoral effects.

The post appeared shortly before the president left the White House for a midterm rally in Kansas. The suggestion revives an idea he floated the previous month when he shared a map that crossed out "Mexico" in red and replaced it with "America." The White House amplified that map post on its official X account.

The New Mexico proposal follows other geographic rebranding efforts during Trump’s second term. Last year he renamed the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America," and on Aug. 27 he signed an executive order directing federal agencies to call Lake Ontario "Lake America." He has also floated renaming the Strait of Hormuz the "Trump Strait" and suggested changing the Atlantic Ocean’s name to the "Ocean of the Americas" or "Trump Ocean."