(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump has posted numerous memes on social media over the long weekend appearing to propose renaming the state of New Mexico to “New America.”
The posts come as the president has repeatedly taken aim at bodies of water bearing the names of other countries and foreign provinces, including the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario, seeking to change those names to include “America” via executive orders.
The president can unilaterally change a geographic name for official U.S. federal government use, but he can’t dictate what other countries or international bodies call it. However, the president cannot unilaterally change the name of a state. New Mexico’s state constitution explicitly states: “The name of this state is New Mexico.”
Congress passed the Enabling Act of 1910, which authorized the territory of New Mexico to form a constitution and state government in preparation for admission to the Union. New Mexico officially became a state on Jan. 6, 1912.
While in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump continued posting on social media Monday, including at least seven posts related to his proposal to rename New Mexico “New America,” drawing fierce backlash from the state’s leaders.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham criticized Trump’s posts Sunday, saying in a post on X that the state’s name is not “up for debate.”
“It’s been ours since before the United States existed,” the governor said. “What is up for debate? Who’s showing up for working families. While the President tries to distract Americans from his disastrous war in Iran, gas prices keep soaring. Americans are also spending more at the grocery store, losing access to health care and wondering if they’ll ever be able to afford a home.”
“Under Democratic leadership here in New Mexico, we’re providing families with free childcare and college, protecting access to health care and investing in housing. While the White House wastes time coloring on maps, Nuevo México is busy doing the work,” the governor stated.
Both senators from New Mexico also responded to Trump’s posts Sunday.
“Three things I will always call by their actual names… The Gulf of Mexico Lake Ontario New Mexico,” Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico stated in a post on X.
Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico also posted on X, “It’s New Mexico, always has been and always will be. Just like how you’ll always be a sinvergüenza and corrupt.”
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