Trump renames New Mexico in an image posted on social media

Donald Trump posted a map of New Mexico on Truth Social with the word "Mexico" crossed out and "America" written beneath it. The image labeled the state "New America" and was also shared by the official White House account.

Trump gave no explanation for the image and did not formally propose changing the state's name. Despite the reaction it generated, New Mexico remains officially New Mexico. No executive order or formal process to rename it has been announced.

A social media post cannot unilaterally change the name of a U.S. state. The article notes that a president can order changes to the names used by the federal government for certain geographic features, but a state's name is different.

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New America

The post joins a series of Trump administration efforts involving geographic names with historical or symbolic weight. In 2025, Trump ordered the U.S. government to use "Gulf of America" instead of the Gulf of Mexico, a move Mexico rejected and which was not internationally recognized. The administration has also promoted the federal cartographic use of "Lake America" for Lake Ontario, prompting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to say the lake would retain its historic name.

The name New Mexico predates both the United States and independent Mexico. Spanish explorers began using it in the 16th century for lands north of New Spain. The name survived Mexico's independence, the territory's incorporation into the United States and New Mexico's admission as a state in 1912.

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will continue to retain its historic name now and always