{"slug": "trump-shares-map-renaming-new-mexico-as-new-america-days-after-trump-strait-and", "title": "Trump Shares Map Renaming New Mexico as 'New America,' Days After ‘Trump Strait’ and ‘Lake America’ Uproar", "summary": "President Donald Trump on Sunday shared a map renaming New Mexico as 'New America' and later posted an AI-generated video of himself changing a road sign, prompting backlash from Democratic lawmakers including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who rejected the idea. The move follows Trump's recent proposals to rename the Strait of Hormuz as 'Trump Strait' and his Aug. 27 executive order renaming Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' amid a trade war with Canada.", "body_md": "President [Donald Trump](https://time.com/article/2026/08/28/lawmakers-reject-trump-renaming-lake-ontario-us-canada-trade-war/) appeared to float the idea of renaming New Mexico as “New America,” [sharing a map](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117225349620809512) of the state that listed the new moniker. The image was posted Sunday without context or comment, and was later reshared by the official [White House social media](https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2096657477928448250?s=20) account.\n\nTrump later [posted](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117226720070374585) an AI-generated video of himself slapping  “America” over a road sign that had previously read “Welcome to New Mexico” and claimed that “many people” had suggested the name change. The White House has not announced any effort to rename New Mexico. TIME has reached out for comment.\n\nThe rhetoric prompted backlash from Democratic lawmakers representing the state. “New Mexico’s name isn’t up for debate—it’s been ours since before the United States existed,” [said](https://x.com/GovMLG/status/2096721538326356476) the state’s Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “While the White House wastes time coloring on maps, Nuevo México is busy doing the work.”\n\nLujan Grisham suggested that Trump’s renaming jibes were an attempt to “distract Americans from his disastrous [war in Iran](https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/us-iran-deadly-strikes-attacks-civilians-sirik-strait-hormuz/),” as well as the rising [price of gas](https://time.com/article/2026/06/19/us-iran-deal-strait-hormuz-shipping-oil-gas-prices/) and other [consumer goods](https://time.com/article/2026/03/18/gas-groceries-war-in-iran-cost-of-living-crisis/).\n\n“ You can’t be serious. New Mexico is not for renaming. Not up for sale,” [said](https://x.com/DebHaalandNM/status/2096690915629015313) former Secretary of the Interior and  candidate for state Governor Deb Haaland. “My promise: I’ll always stand up for what makes New Mexico, New Mexico.”\n\nSen. Ben Ray Luján [offered](https://x.com/SenatorLujan/status/2096726038759752026) a similar rebuttal, insisting “it’s New Mexico, always has been and always will be” as he referred to Trump as “corrupt.”\n\nElsewhere, some Trump allies came out in support of the floated name change. “New America? Kind of catchy,” [argued](https://x.com/BasedMikeLee/status/2096670458758275442) Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.\n\n### Trump's habit of renaming things—often after America or himself\n\nThe President’s social media rhetoric regarding New Mexico comes days after he floated [renaming the vital trade passage the Strait of Hormuz as “Trump Strait.”](https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/trump-suggests-renaming-strait-of-hormuz-after-himself-iran-war/)\n\nIt also follows Trump [signing](https://time.com/article/2026/08/27/trump-lake-ontario-america-order-canadians-boycott-us-travel-trade-war/) an Executive Order renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” on Aug. 27, amid a widening [trade war](https://time.com/article/2026/09/03/us-canada-trade-war-trump-carney-tariffs-lake-ontario-name-change-polls/) with Canada. The change was met with widespread [disapproval](https://time.com/article/2026/08/28/lawmakers-reject-trump-renaming-lake-ontario-us-canada-trade-war/) from both U.S. lawmakers and Canadian politicians, who vowed Lake Ontario will continue to be called by that name.\n\nThe order applies to U.S. federal references of the lake and does not determine how Canada—or others—refer to the body of water. U.S. users of [Google Maps](https://time.com/article/2026/08/31/lake-ontario-america-us-canada-trump-google-maps/) and Apple Maps, however, will notice the change reflected.\n\nTrump has often turned to name changes as a show of power and a way to undermine his perceived adversaries.\n\nThe President has also put his stamp on Washington, D.C., renaming the Kennedy Center by adding his own surname to the title. After much back-and-forth and legal complications, the Center’s board [voted](https://time.com/article/2026/08/13/kennedy-center-trump-name-board-vote-judge-order/) in August to reinstate Trump’s name on the building’s facade, testing a [judge’s order from May](https://time.com/article/2026/05/31/burgum-says-trump-s-name-won-t-be-taken-off-kennedy-center-after-judges-ruling/) that mandated its removal. \n\nTrump added his name to the U.S. [Institute of Peace](https://apnews.com/article/trump-institute-of-peace-6545c0101a02b677359f2732b019bf6a) late last year, pointing towards his [claim](https://time.com/7339536/trump-peace-deals-conflicts-status-thailand-cambodia/) of ending a number of global conflicts since his return to the White House.\n\nOutside of renaming landmarks and buildings after himself, Trump has also faced [backlash](https://time.com/article/2026/09/01/white-house-east-wing-ballroom-trump-supreme-court/) over a string of what Democratic lawmakers have referred to as [“vanity projects”](https://time.com/article/2026/05/28/trump-arch-plans-democrat-legislation-construction-projects-backlash/) across D.C.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trump-shares-map-renaming-new-mexico-as-new-america-days-after-trump-strait-and", "canonical_source": "https://time.com/article/2026/09/07/trump-shares-map-renaming-new-mexico-as-new-america-amid-uproar/", "published_at": "2026-09-07 14:59:40+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-07 15:27:51.476297+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy"], "entities": ["Donald Trump", "Michelle Lujan Grisham", "Deb Haaland", "Ben Ray Luján", "Mike Lee", "White House", "Lake Ontario", "Strait of Hormuz"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trump-shares-map-renaming-new-mexico-as-new-america-days-after-trump-strait-and", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trump-shares-map-renaming-new-mexico-as-new-america-days-after-trump-strait-and.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trump-shares-map-renaming-new-mexico-as-new-america-days-after-trump-strait-and.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trump-shares-map-renaming-new-mexico-as-new-america-days-after-trump-strait-and.jsonld"}}