New Mexico Democrats Rebuke Trump's 'New America' Push as State Name Stands in Constitution
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Sep 7
New Mexico Democrats Rebuke Trump's 'New America' Push as State Name Stands in Constitution
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Sep 7
Summary
Michelle Lujan Grisham, Deb Haaland and New Mexico’s Democratic congressional delegation blasted Donald Trump’s posts proposing the state be renamed “New America,” calling the idea an attack on the state’s history and identity.
Trump floated the change in Truth Social posts Sunday and Monday, saying “many people” wanted a more “prestigious” name and accusing New Mexico of “vote cheating,” including an AI-generated image of him covering a welcome sign.
The proposal has no direct path through presidential power: New Mexico’s constitution explicitly names the state, and any change would require voters to approve a constitutional amendment.
The episode extends Trump’s broader renaming campaign after orders changing the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America,” Denali to “Mount McKinley,” and, more recently, Lake Ontario to “Lake America.”