President Donald Trump has attempted to unilaterally rename Lake Ontario into “Lake America” and the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” He lacks the legal authority to do either of these things, just as he cannot rename a state on a whim — although he is now attempting to do just that. And even many of his own supporters are turning on him over it.
“New Mexico should immediately change its name to New America,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Monday. “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 right-wing website The Daily Caller used Trump’s statement to point out the soaring costs of the war in Iran.
“BTW, the national average price of diesel hit an all-time high just last month, and the Iran conflict reportedly costs the average American household $2,000,” The Daily Called posted on X in response to Trump’s statement. New York Magazine columnist David Freedlander expressed shock by writing on X, “What is happening here[?]”
Bo French — the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner who recently lost a number of Republican endorsements after making racist comments about a group of South Asian college students — argued on X that “actually, it should be renamed to West Texas since parts of it used to be in Texas.” Meanwhile The Washington Post’s Dan Diamond offered an analysis on X that helped explain why some Republicans are unwilling to align with Trump’s new renaming crusade.
“Trump says that New Mexico should ‘immediately’ change its name to ‘New America,'” Diamond wrote. “State leaders have panned Trump’s weeks-long focus on the name change. A GOP candidate in a close race for Congress is trying to distance himself from Trump’s idea, too.”
Meanwhile a New Mexico lawmaker, Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), posted on X that “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.”
US Army Veteran Ryan King expressed disappointment, wondering on X that “Just how out of touch is this President?” Meanwhile Trump supporter Rusty Self posted “I’m speechless, as a three time Trump voter, how detached this administration has become. Speechless.” Another Trump supporter stated “What the f—— is this horses——? This is NOT what I voted for.” A different Trump supporter said “New Mexico is a dumb name.” Then Trump backer Aiden Davis said “this is now ridiculous. Gulf of America was cool, but these last two instances have been stupid.”
Pro-Trump commentator Eric Daughtery gloated over the proposed change, saying on X that “it’s time” and later adding that it was “another all-timer. Make it happen, New Mexico! Trump is on a roll.” Christian right-winger Vicky Bird praised the decision by writing on X that “I love this! Just when you think President Trump is done changing names, like Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, he comes up with another! Instead of New Mexico he wants to change it to New America, because we are not Mexico !” Gunther Eagleman, another pro-Trump commentator, lauded Trump’s announcement by saying, “His point is simple: ‘We are not Mexico, we are the United States of America!’ He already turned the Gulf of Mexico into the Gulf of AMERICA, and the left melted down over that too. Trump says the new name would boost home values, raise incomes and make people even prouder to salute the flag. He even says New Mexico’s CROOKED ELECTIONS might finally become honest again. Honestly, it has a nice ring to it. New America. I’m in.”