President Donald Trump posted a social media image suggesting renaming the state of New Mexico as "New America," adding to the list of his renaming fixation, while the president's approval rating remains low.
The White House reposted Trump's "New America" image depicting a map of New Mexico with an "X" over "Mexico" and replaced by "America" on Sept. 6, during the Labor Day holiday weekend. Trump then posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social account which depicts him slapping an "America" over Mexico on the state's welcome road sign, accompanied by a celebratory dance to the YMCA.
"Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico, one of the great vote cheating states of all time, to NEW AMERICA. So much more prestigious and beautiful
for the people of that potentially incredible State," Trump wrote with his Truth Social video.
The posting was the latest in a renaming trend where the 80-year-old president renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America", Lake Ontario to "Lake America," the Strait of Hormuz to "Trump Strait" and adding his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
'You can't be serious'
Democrats in New Mexico pounced on the "New America" image shared by the White House.
"You can’t be serious. New Mexico is not for renaming. Not up for sale. My promise: I’ll always stand up for what makes New Mexico, New Mexico," Deb Haaland, the Democrat candidate for governor who as the former U.S. Secretary of the Interior was the first Native American to serve as a U.S. Cabinet secretary, stated on a post on X.
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, of Las Cruces, in a response to Trump on X stated, "You don’t get to erase New Mexico. Not our name. Not our history. Not our culture. The President may want to call us 'New America,' but we know who we are."
n chimed in on social media. Heinrich posted saying, "Three things I will always call by their actual names…" and then listing The Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario and New Mexico. Lujan attacked the president, stating, "It’s New Mexico, always has been and always will be. Just like how you’ll always be a sinvergüenza and corrupt."
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the state's "name isn't up for debate," adding that "While the White House wastes time coloring on maps, Nuevo México is busy doing the work."
The name of New Mexico dates back to the 1500s when the region was named Nuevo México by Spanish settlers, making its name older than the United States of America and before Mexico gained independence from Spain.
New Mexico was an incorporated territory of the U.S. until becoming the 47th state in 1912.
'New America' map emerged as parody
The "New America" map was previously posted on Sept. 1 on the parody account Daily Noud, which posted a fake image falsely claiming Trump had signed an executive order renaming New Mexico. Daily Noud account on X states, "These are fake stories."
Variations of the "New America" map also emerged on Instagram, Facebook and other social media, Snopes, which tracks online falsehoods and urban legends, reported.
The post comes as Trump's overall approval rating is at 36%, according to NBC polling, with voters disapproving of his job performance on everything from tariffs, gas prices, the Iran war and inflation.
The president's critics have said that the renaming tactic is used by Trump as a distraction from the nation's actual problems. New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham echoed that in her post, saying, "While the President tries to distract Americans from his disastrous war in Iran, the price of gas –and everything else – keeps rising."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump posts map renaming New Mexico to 'New America'
