President Donald Trump is repeating his controversial request to rename the state of New Mexico.
“New Mexico should immediately change its name to New America. We are not Mexico, we are the United States of America!” Trump, 80, wrote via Truth Social on Monday, October 19. “The name would add great value and prestige to the State! Home Values and Incomes would rise, and you would be even prouder while saluting our beautiful American Flag!”
The commander in chief continued, “Maybe even the Crooked Elections, that New Mexico is known for, would become honest again!” (There is no evidence that New Mexico has been involved in electoral fraud.)
Although Trump can use executive authority to rename bodies of water and other geographic features, he does not have the power to rename New Mexico or other states. Instead, it would likely require action by the state itself and Congress.
As part of his second-term campaign, the businessman claimed he would rebrand parts of the United States that share names with foreign countries. (Trump previously ordered that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America and that Lake Ontario be renamed Lake America.)
Lawmakers in New Mexico have previously panned Trump’s wishes, with a Republican running for Congress in the state distancing himself from the idea.
“It’s not something that’s legislatively possible, so nothing’s going to change,” Greg Cunningham, who is seeking to unseat Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-New Mexico), said in a debate via the Washington Post on Friday, October 16.
On Monday afternoon, New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján quickly spoke out against Trump’s demands.
“New Mexico’s name dates back hundreds of years, long before the United States even existed. It carries generations of history, culture and rich traditions that continue to shape who we are,” he wrote via X. “We are New Mexicans. We’re proud of our name, proud of our home and we’re keeping both. Long after Donald Trump is out of office, we’ll still be New Mexico.”
Trump’s latest controversial idea comes just weeks before the midterm elections when Americans will head to the polls to vote on Tuesday, November 3.
According to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey and released on Monday, 71 percent of U.S. adults think the country is on the “wrong track.”
Trump’s approval rating slipped to 34 percent among U.S. adults, while his disapproval rating rose to 66 percent.
