President Donald J. Trump is not letting go of the idea.
According to Fox News Politics, the President touted higher home values and incomes as key selling points for the name change, while also taking a swipe at the state's election system. The post drew immediate national attention, with The Washington Post reporting that the President lacks the executive authority to actually rename a state—a detail that has done little to dampen enthusiasm for the idea among his supporters.
Trump first floated the concept in September, sharing a map of New Mexico on social media with the word "Mexico" crossed out in red and replaced with "America." He revisited the idea earlier this month while endorsing Republican Greg Cunningham, who is challenging Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District.
"Hello New America — formerly known as New Mexico," Trump said in a video address, according to Mediaite.
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Social media posts from Friday show the President's message circulating widely online. Instagram posts referencing the statement were indexed under captions noting that Trump "says New Mexico should 'immediately'" make the change and that he is "floating another name change, this time..." The posts, which the President's supporters shared widely, reflect a continuation of the branding push that has become a signature of his second term.
The name-change suggestion is the latest in a series of geographic rebrandings Trump has pursued since returning to office. Shortly after his January 2025 inauguration, he signed an executive order mandating that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the "Gulf of America" and that Denali, the highest mountain in North America, be re-named Mount McKinley. In August 2026, he added Lake Ontario—shared with Canada—to the list, ordering it renamed "Lake America."
At an October 10 rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, Trump mused about renaming an ocean. "I was thinking of either the Atlantic or the Pacific," he said. "We call it 'Trump Ocean' or, or 'Ocean of the Americas,' something like that."
The Washington Post notes that while a President can use executive authority to rename bodies of water and other federal geographic features, he cannot unilaterally rename a state. That power rests with the state itself and, in practice, requires legislative action and federal recognition.
The President's latest push comes as Republicans eye gains in New Mexico, a state that has leaned Democratic in recent cycles but where the GOP sees opportunity in the 2nd Congressional District. Trump's endorsement of Cunningham and his repeated focus on the state suggest the White House views it as a pickup opportunity.
The name-change proposal has also reignited debate over the President's broader branding strategy. Critics argue that renaming geographic features distracts from substantive policy, while supporters counter that the moves are patriotic statements that reclaim American identity from progressive cultural shifts.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether the President plans to formally petition Congress or the New Mexico Legislature on the matter. It is not yet known whether state officials in New Mexico have any intention of considering a name change.
Our Take
Leave it to Donald Trump to turn a name into a national conversation.
The President's push to rename New Mexico "New America" is more than a catchy slogan. It is a direct challenge to the cultural self-loathing that has infected so much of the American Left. Why should a state carry the name of a foreign nation—one that has done nothing but send drugs, criminals, and chaos across our southern border—when it could bear the name of the country that made it great?
Trump is right about the economics, too. States with strong American branding—low taxes, safe streets, patriotic culture—are the ones seeing home values soar and incomes rise. New Mexico has been held back by progressive policies that keep it at the bottom of national rankings. A rebrand would send a message that the state is open for business, not open borders.
And while the Establishment media will mock the idea and cite legal technicalities, they are missing the point. This is about American pride. The Gulf of America, Lake America, and yes, New America—these are not just names. They are declarations that we are taking our country back.
The President is right: the decision is up to the people of New Mexico. But if they want higher incomes, safer communities, and elections they can trust, they should be listening to the man in the White House—not the radicals in Santa Fe.
Patriots, let's make it happen. Call your state representatives. Demand the name change. And let's Make America Great Again—one state at a time.
