Politics
Trump Signals Possible Renaming of New Mexico to 'New America' Following Lake Ontario Change
President Donald Trump has suggested he may rename New Mexico to "New America," continuing a pattern of renaming U.S. geographic landmarks during his term. On Sunday, Sept. 6, the 80-year-old president shared a map of New Mexico on Truth Social with the state's name altered—"Mexico" was crossed out and replaced with "America" in red lettering. The post included no caption or additional explanation.
New Mexico became the 47th U.S. state on Jan. 6, 1912. According to Britannica, the state's name originates from the Spanish term "Nuevo México," which was used by Spanish explorers centuries before it became part of the United States.
The Truth Social post came 10 days after Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 27 renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America." He attributed the decision to what he described as unfair trade practices by Canada. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after signing the order, Trump said, "As you know, Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade. We defend Canada for nothing… They don't pay us to defend Canada, but we defend Canada."
He added, "They don't pay for anything, and they want to be treated like a state, but they're not a state. They want to be treated like they're a state, and we just can't do that anymore." Trump noted that the idea was something he had been considering for a long time. He had first floated the possibility of renaming the lake in an Aug. 25 Truth Social post, two days before signing the executive order.
This is not the first time Trump has pursued renaming a major geographic feature. Shortly after beginning his current term in January 2025, he announced plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America." At the time, he told reporters, "We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Which has a beautiful ring. That covers a lot of territory. The Gulf of America, what a beautiful name. And it's appropriate. It's appropriate."
According to The Associated Press, while the U.S. government has the authority to alter names on domestic maps, Trump does not have the power to compel other countries or international organizations to adopt these changes. Nevertheless, major mapping platforms—including Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Microsoft's Bing Maps—have implemented "Gulf of America" for users in the United States. Google Maps and Apple Maps have also adopted "Lake America" for U.S.-based users.