Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has declined President Donald Trump’s idea that New Mexico could be renamed ‘New America.’
The Democratic governor made clear the state’s identity was not up for debate, declaring: ‘It’s been ours since before the United States existed.’
The row erupted after Trump posted a map on social media Monday showing the words ‘New America’ in place of New Mexico.
The president offered no explanation or context for the post, which the White House later reshared on X.
But Grisham was quick to comment. ‘New Mexico’s name isn’t up for debate — it’s been ours since before the United States existed,‘ she wrote.
‘You know what is up for debate? Who’s showing up for working families.‘
The governor said Trump is using the controversy to distract Americans from more pressing problems.
She pointed to what she called his ‘disastrous war in Iran,’ soaring gas prices, rising grocery bills, concerns over access to health care, and the growing struggle for many Americans to afford a home.
‘Americans are spending more at the grocery store, losing access to health care and wondering if they’ll ever be able to afford a home,‘ she wrote.
Former Interior Secretary and New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland also blasted the idea.
‘You can’t be serious. New Mexico is not for renaming. Not up for sale,’ Haaland wrote on X. ‘My promise: I’ll always stand up for what makes New Mexico, New Mexico.‘
You can’t be serious.
— Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) September 6, 2026
New Mexico is not for renaming. Not up for sale.
My promise: I’ll always stand up for what makes New Mexico, New Mexico. https://t.co/bttKOAsvqj
Not everyone was opposed. Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah appeared to embrace the idea, writing: ‘New America? Kind of catchy.’
Trump’s latest apparent flirtation with renaming a geographic landmark comes just days after he reportedly floated changing the name of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz to ‘Trump Strait.’
It also follows his August 27 executive order renaming Lake Ontario ‘Lake America‘ for U.S. federal references. The order does not determine what Canada or other countries call the lake. But U.S. users of Google Maps and Apple Maps have seen the new name reflected.
The move triggered a backlash on both sides of the border. American lawmakers and Canadian politicians insisted that Lake Ontario would remain Lake Ontario.
An Ipsos/Reuters poll conducted between August 28 and 30 found that 63 percent of Americans opposed Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario.
Grisham made clear that, at least in her view, the name remains the same. New Mexico has had its name for centuries. And the governor stressed she has no intention of letting Trump change it.
