From Meme to Microphone: Trump Floats Renaming New Mexico 'New America' at GOP Midterm Convention

DALLAS — What began as a debunked internet hoax became a line in a presidential speech Wednesday night, when President Donald Trump told the Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention that New Mexico should be renamed "New America."

Speaking at the American Airlines Center on the convention's opening night, Trump raised the idea alongside other geographic renamings he has pursued, including the Gulf of America and Lake America.

"We did come up with one the other day which we think is appropriate," Trump said, according to Paul Sanchez, a New Mexico Republican and radio host who has tracked the controversy since it began. "You have a neighboring state, New Mexico. We think it should be called 'New America.'" Trump added that "the people love the idea."

National outlets confirmed the substance of the remarks. Yahoo News reported that Trump told the convention he was planning on renaming New Mexico "New America," and said the Strait of Hormuz would become the "Trump Strait" after the war with Iran.

A hoax that became real

The episode has an unusual origin. A false claim that Trump had signed an executive order renaming New Mexico circulated online — a recycled hoax dating back to 2016. Then, on Sunday, Sept. 6, Trump posted a map of the state on Truth Social with "Mexico" crossed out in red and replaced with "America." The official White House account reshared the image on X.

Trump followed with an AI-generated video of himself pasting an "America" sticker over a "Welcome to New Mexico" road sign, and by Labor Day had posted at least seven times about the proposal in roughly an hour, according to Forbes. In one post, he called New Mexico "one of the great vote cheating states" and said the new name would be more prestigious.

The White House has not announced any formal effort to rename the state, and as of this week no executive order had been signed.

The legal wall

Whatever the president's intentions, renaming a state is not within his power. While Trump can direct the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to change how the federal government refers to bodies of water — as he did with the Gulf of Mexico in January 2025 and Lake Ontario on Aug. 27 — states control their own names.

New Mexico's constitution states plainly: "The name of this state is New Mexico." Changing it would require action within the state itself, likely a constitutional amendment. No such process is underway.

Reaction across the spectrum

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, rejected the idea outright, saying the state's name "isn't up for debate" and has belonged to the region since before the United States existed. She accused the president of using the stunt to distract from the war in Iran and rising prices. Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján also pushed back. Local Independent candidate for District 51 State Representative, Grace Nagamine posted a video questioning rather the president was serious or rather it was a joke but more importantly questioned why her opponent, John Block, was pushing the narrative via his social media posts.   She emphasized that “the rhetoric is divisive and we should be discussing the bread and butter issues that impact our local district, high electric prices, high gas prices, roads needing repairs and CYFD reforms, not renaming New Mexico. “

Some Republicans embraced the proposal — Utah Sen. Mike Lee called the name "kind of catchy" — while others in the party have grown uneasy with the convention's broader promises. Rep John Block supported the idea that dismisses the heritage of New Mexico and its history, he then later endorsed the narrative that it’s Trump trolling Democrats and individuals. Regardless it’s divisive and political leaders should unite individuals not divide. 

Chief among those new ideas Trump is now championing in what opponents claim is desperation that congress will never approve, Trump's pledge that every adult American citizen would receive a $5,000 "Trump Dividend" if Republicans hold the House and Senate in November — a proposal analysts estimate would cost more than $1 trillion and which critics note may run afoul of federal law against paying to influence votes. Texas Gov. Ron DeSantis denounced the plan, warning it would fuel debt and inflation.

'Which parts should we laugh at?'

For local commentator and Republican activist Sanchez, a self-described Trump supporter on issues from Iran to women's sports, the convention speech ended the debate over whether the president was joking.

When the Truth Social posts first appeared, he says, Republicans in New Mexico split into three camps: those who insisted it was a hoax, those who loved the idea, and those who said Trump was merely trolling the state's Democrats. Sanchez had leaned toward taking the president seriously — then conceded on air that it was probably a joke, only to watch Trump repeat the proposal from the convention stage a day later.

"The problem now is if you still go with the trolling line," Sanchez wrote, "please tell me what parts of the speech are jokes? The 5K? New America? Trump Strait?"

For now, "New America" remains a proposal without a process — a name change no president can make alone, aimed at a state that has already said no and yet another divisive policy in a time when unity and civility is truly needed. 

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