US President Donald Trump has floated the idea of renaming the state of New Mexico “New America,” in another unusual proposal involving changes to geographical names.
Trump made the suggestion on Sunday in a social media post, claiming that several people had proposed replacing “New Mexico” with “New America.”
“Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico… to NEW AMERICA,” the Republican president wrote. He described the proposed name as “more prestigious and beautiful” and praised the state as one with significant potential.
The White House subsequently amplified the idea by reposting an image in which the word “Mexico” in the state’s name was crossed out and replaced with “America.”
The proposal, however, was quickly rejected by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who said the state’s name was not open for discussion.
Speaking to Fox News, Grisham said, “It’s been ours since before the United States existed,” insisting that the name was not up for debate.
Some US media reports suggested that the proposal originated from an internet hoax before Trump amplified it.
Trump’s latest naming proposal comes shortly after he signed an order directing that Lake Ontario be referred to as “Lake America” in the United States, amid heightened tensions between Washington and neighbouring Canada.
The New Mexico proposal has since drawn attention online, with critics questioning the motivation behind the president’s latest name-change idea.
Grisham also accused Trump of attempting to divert public attention from domestic concerns, including rising petrol prices, saying the president was seeking to “distract Americans” from pressing economic issues.
