Trump Suggests “New America” Rebrand in Latest Geographic Social Media Blitz
WASHINGTON – In the latest chapter of his ongoing effort to rebrand geographic entities around the globe, Trump has set his sights on a new target: the state of New Mexico.
In a flurry of social media posts, Trump posted several images showing state signs, maps, and official documents with the words “New Mexico” crossed out in bold red lines and replaced with handwritten text reading “New America.” Sharing the series of edited graphics – which were quickly amplified by official White House accounts – Trump proclaimed that the proposed moniker would be “so much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State.”
The viral image campaign comes amid a broader series of geographic rebranding pushes during Trump’s second term. Earlier executive actions directed federal agencies to adopt the name “Gulf of America” for the Gulf of Mexico, as well as rechristening Lake Ontario as “Lake America” following trade disputes with Canada. The president has also floated ideas ranging from renaming the Strait of Hormuz to “Trump Strait” to half-jokingly pondering name changes for the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
However, despite the heavy social media push and multi-image campaign, legal scholars emphasize that renaming an established U.S. state falls well outside the boundaries of presidential executive power.
Legal experts point out that the state’s designation is explicitly codified under Article I of the New Mexico Constitution. Altering it would require a formal state constitutional amendment—demanding a majority vote in both chambers of the state legislature – followed by federal congressional approval.
New Mexico state officials were swift to shut down the idea and mock the modified images.
“New Mexico’s name isn’t up for debate—it’s been ours since before the United States existed,” said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, highlighting that the name Nuevo México was established by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, centuries prior to U.S. statehood. State representatives echoed the sentiment, dismissing the social media barrage as a distraction from pressing economic and diplomatic matters.
For now, federal agencies have not issued formal directives regarding state-level mapping references, leaving the crossed-out state logos as the latest rhetorical entry in the president’s high-profile geographic campaign.
