President Donald Trump calls New Mexico ‘one of the great vote cheating states of all time’ while floating changing its name to ‘New America’
President Donald Trump called New Mexico “one of the great vote cheating states of all time” on Sunday, September 6, while contemplating the idea of renaming it “New America” after a debunked online hoax claimed he had already signed an executive order to do so. Trump later shared a map on Truth Social showing “Mexico” crossed out and replaced with “America” — an image subsequently reposted by the official White House account on X. The episode followed Trump’s August 27 executive order renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for U.S. federal use.
Hoax spreads before Donald Trump embraces the idea
The false claim emerged after a satirical social media account, Casper Planet, which describes its content as “Snews that doesn’t matter,” posted that federal officials had reportedly approved plans to rename New Mexico as “New America.”
On September 1, the X account @DailyNoud, also identified as a satire account, escalated the claim by writing, “Donald Trump has signed an executive order to change the name of New Mexico to New America.” The post drew more than 2.7 million views as variations spread across Instagram, Threads and Facebook. However, fact-checking website Snopes found no credible evidence that Trump or his administration had approved such a change or issued an executive order renaming the state.
Donald Trump calls the proposed name ‘more prestigious’
Despite the initial claim being false, Trump later appeared to endorse the idea. He wrote Sunday evening, “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. Wow, I Love It!!!”
The post came amid a broader series of Trump’s efforts to rename geographic landmarks. His August 27 executive order directed federal agencies to use “Lake America” instead of Lake Ontario, following his earlier order changing the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”
New Mexico Democrats reject the suggestion
New Mexico’s Democratic lawmakers responded forcefully to the suggested name change. Sen. Martin Heinrich wrote, “Three things I will always call by their actual names. The Gulf of Mexico. Lake Ontario. New Mexico.”
Rep. Melanie Stansbury responded, “Oh hell no!”
“Our state’s name carries generations of history, culture, and family — and it belongs to us. We’re New Mexicans. Period,” she added.
Rep. Gabe Vasquez told Trump that he doesn’t “get to erase New Mexico.”
“Not our name. Not our history. Not our culture,” he said. “The president may want to call us ‘New America,‘ but we know who we are.”
Renaming campaign draws wider backlash
Rep. Ted Lieu criticized Trump’s priorities by pointing to rising fuel prices during the Iran war before writing, “Changing the name of New Mexico to New America. November is coming.”
Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, offered a contrasting reaction, saying that “New America” is “kind of catchy.”
Trump’s earlier geographical renamings have also generated resistance. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Lake Ontario’s name would continue to apply to “Canadians and the rest of the world. Now and forever.”
The Seneca Nation, meanwhile, urged Trump to reverse the order, citing the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua.
According to reports, House Democrats have since introduced legislation seeking to block the Lake America order and prevent further presidential renaming of the Great Lakes.