Democrats and New Mexico leaders have rejected President Trump's suggestion to rename the state "New America," calling it a distraction from the administration's stance on the war in Iran and rising living costs. Legal experts note the federal government cannot rename a state; a ballot amendment approved by New Mexico voters would be required. The idea follows other controversial attempts by the administration to relabel geographic features and has drawn bipartisan pushback rooted in legal, cultural and historical concerns.
Democrats Call Trump's Bid To Rename New Mexico 'New America' A Distraction From Iran War And Rising Costs
A sign on the highway welcomes drivers to New Mexico. 'It's New Mexico, always has been and always will be,' senator Ben Ray Luján says.Photograph: Al Drago/Getty Images
Democrats blasted President Donald Trump's suggestion that New Mexico be renamed "New America," calling the idea a stunt intended to divert attention from the administration's foreign policy and mounting economic pressures at home.
The White House previously moved to relabel other geographic names after Mr. Trump's return to office in January 2025, prompting controversy. Hours after he took office, the administration sought to relabel the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America," and in August proposed a similar change for Lake Ontario amid rising trade tensions with Canada.
Over the Labor Day holiday the president amplified the idea on social media, posting memes in favor of changing New Mexico's name as trade negotiations with Mexico intensified. On Sunday he wrote on Truth Social that he had received suggestions to alter the state's name and that he liked the idea:
"So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!"
Legal And Cultural Barriers
Political observers and New Mexico officials were quick to note that the federal government does not have the authority to rename a U.S. state. Any official change would require approval by New Mexico voters through an amendment to the state constitution placed on a ballot — a process controlled by the state.
Leaders Push Back
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, rejected the proposal on X, writing: "New Mexico's name isn't up for debate – it's been ours since before the United States existed." She accused the president of trying to distract Americans from what she called "his disastrous war in Iran" while pointing to rising gas prices, higher grocery bills, shrinking access to health care and the growing challenge of buying a home.
New Mexico's senior senator, Martin Heinrich, criticized what he described as a pattern of renaming geographic features by executive fiat.
"Three things I will always call by their actual names: The Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, New Mexico."Senator Ben Ray Luján echoed those remarks and added a sharp personal rebuke of the president.
Representative Melanie Stansbury, speaking on the banks of the Rio Grande, declared emphatically: "WE ARE NOT CHANGING OUR NAME! New Mexico is New Mexico. We are fiercely proud of our name, our people, and our places."
Opposition crossed party lines. Greg Hull, the Republican nominee running to succeed the term-limited governor, also rejected the proposal, emphasizing New Mexico's deep roots: the state's name reflects centuries of Native nations' history and the legacy of Spanish explorers and generations of families.
Why Critics Say It's a Distraction
Critics argue these renaming initiatives are largely symbolic gestures designed to generate headlines while more substantive issues — including international conflict, trade disputes and domestic economic strain — go unresolved. Whether viewed as political theater or a legitimate branding idea, the proposal has united many New Mexico leaders in defense of the state's name and heritage.
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