US President Donald Trump has posted a map relabelling the state of New Mexico as "New America", days after a false online claim that he had signed an executive order renaming the state went viral.
The map, shared to Trump's Truth Social account, put a large "X" over the word "Mexico" in the state's name and added "America" beneath it. The official White House account reposted the image to the platform X.
On Monday, Trump appeared to lean further into the false story, posting what appeared to be an AI-generated video of himself changing the name on a sign.
"Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico, one of the great vote cheating states of all time, to NEW AMERICA," he wrote on Truth Social.
"So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!"
The rebrand would be the latest America-themed name change by the president after he ordered that the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario be rechristened the Gulf of America and Lake America, respectively.
Democrats in New Mexico were quick to condemn the proposed name change.
"You can’t be serious. New Mexico is not for renaming. Not up for sale. My promise: I’ll always stand up for what makes New Mexico, New Mexico," wrote Democrat candidate for Governor Deb Haaland.
Representative Melanie Stansbury wrote: “Oh hell no!”
“Our state’s name carries generations of history, culture, and family — and it belongs to us. We’re New Mexicans. Period.”
Representative Gabe Vasquez, who is running for reelection against Republican Greg Cunningham, told the president on X that he doesn’t “get to erase New Mexico. Not our name. Not our history. Not our culture.”
“The President may want to call us ‘New America', but we know who we are,” he added.
New Mexico, in the country's southwest bordering Mexico, has voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 2008.
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