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Trump White House

‘Oh Hell No!’ Democrats Object to Trump’s Suggestion to Rename New Mexico

The president appeared to float changing New Mexico’s name to “New America.”

Trump

President Trump posted several times to Truth Social on Sunday.(Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

By Jenna Monnin

September 6, 2026 06:34 p.m.

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New Mexico might be next on the list of name changes proposed by President Donald Trump, who posted an image to Truth Social on Sunday of the state and crossed out “Mexico” to swap in “America.”

“New America” would be the latest renaming musing by Trump as he pushes for more America-centric titles for bodies of water, mountains and army bases.

Last month, Trump followed through with his promise to change the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” as the U.S. remains locked in a trade war with Canada. Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” on the first day of his second term. Trump personally put pressure on Apple to make the revision to “Lake America” in its maps.

Like Trump’s other name changes, “New America” was immediately met with criticism from Democrats.

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“New Mexico’s name isn’t up for debate — it’s been ours since before the United States existed,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, wrote in a statement to NOTUS. “What is up for debate? Who’s showing up for working families?”

Lujan Grisham accused the president of trying to “distract Americans from his disastrous war in Iran,” adding that “while the White House wastes time coloring on maps, Nuevo México is busy doing the work.”

Trump’s post also prompted a firestorm of condemnation from other New Mexico Democrats.

“Three things I will always call by their actual names… The Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, New Mexico,” Sen. Martin Heinrich wrote on X.

It’s New Mexico, always has been and always will be.

Just like how you’ll always be a sinvergüenza and corrupt. pic.twitter.com/LsZ3hUHPfn

— Senator Ben Ray Luján (@SenatorLujan) September 6, 2026

“You can’t be serious. New Mexico is not for renaming. Not up for sale,” former Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland, the Democratic nominee for governor in New Mexico, commented on X.

“Oh hell no! Our state’s name carries generations of history, culture, and family—and it belongs to us. We’re New Mexicans. Period,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury posted.

Last week, Trump suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz — a critical waterway under siege in the Iran war — as “Trump Strait.” Hours later, the president seemed to back off the push, telling reporters in the Oval Office he “was just throwing that out.”

Author

STAFF_Jenna Monnin_MUG-500px.png Jenna Monnin is a reporter at The Washington Sun.

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