Trump renews call for New Mexico name change

President Donald Trump on Monday took to social media to renew his call for New Mexico to be renamed New America.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that the state should change its name “immediately” because, “We are not Mexico, we are the United States of America!  The name would add great value and prestige to the State! Home Values and Incomes would rise, and you would be even prouder while saluting our beautiful American Flag! Maybe even the Crooked Elections, that New Mexico is known for, would become honest again!”

The post followed Trump’s initial call for the name change in early September, which prompted numerous denunciations by state and federal officials and candidates.

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), who is in a competitive race for his seat representing the 2nd Congressional District, quickly rebuked Trump and his opponent, former Marine and Albuquerque police officer Greg Cunningham.

“Greg Cunningham’s boss is doubling down on this ridiculous proposal,” Vasquez wrote on social media. “Shouldn’t the President be spending his time figuring out how to lower prices for Americans? Of course he’s not. And Greg will stay silent again — he can’t even defend our state’s name.”

Source NM reached out to Cunningham’s campaign for a comment, but did not receive a response prior to publication. Vasquez and Cunningham had a lively debate on Friday.

Both Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates Deb Haaland and Gregg Hull rejected Trump’s call in September. Hull reiterated his opposition on Monday.

“I stand by my original statement — New Mexico does not need a new name,” Hull said in a statement. “Our identity is defined by our rich culture, our beautiful landscape, and the resilience of our people. That identity is never up for negotiation. EVER.”

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in a social media post responded similarly. “This tired ‘New America’ bit again?

You have to ask — what policy failure is Trump trying to distract Americans from this time? Let me repeat: New Mexico was New Mexico long before the United States existed and we’ll be New Mexico forevermore.”

Both Lujan Grisham and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver also rejected Trump’s critique of the state’s elections.

“President Trump continues to push tired and patently false narratives about our voting process in New Mexico,” Toulouse Oliver said in a statement. “He must stop insulting the intelligence of this state’s voters. New Mexicans know that we have repeatedly received high national rankings for administering some of the most secure and accessible elections in the country.”

In April, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) 2024 Elections Performance Index ranked New Mexico’s election administration seventh in the U.S.

New Mexico’s congressional delegation in September called upon major tech companies Apple and Google to commit to ensuring New Mexico retains its name on the companies’ maps.

On Monday, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján responded to Trump’s renewed call with an online statement noting,

“New Mexico’s name dates back hundreds of years, long before the United States even existed. It carries generations of history, culture, and rich traditions that continue to shape who we are. We are New Mexicans. We’re proud of our name, proud of our home, and we’re keeping both. Long after Donald Trump is out of office, we’ll still be New Mexico.”