Trump Shares Map Renaming New Mexico as 'New America,' Days After ‘Trump Strait’ and ‘Lake America’ Uproar

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.

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. Trump 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. The 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.” Lujan 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/ . “ 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.” Sen. 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.” Elsewhere, 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. Trump's habit of renaming things—often after America or himself The 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/ It 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. The 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. Trump has often turned to name changes as a show of power and a way to undermine his perceived adversaries. The 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. Trump 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. Outside 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.