President Donald Trump took to social media on Sunday with a bold visual. He shared a map of the Southwest with a clear message. The word “Mexico” was crossed out in bright red. The word “America” replaced it right beneath. A bright red line struck through “Mexico” on a map of the Southwestern state in Trump’s original post, substituting “America”
This move came just days after a similar action. On August 27, the President signed an order renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” That order followed a previous change to the Gulf of Mexico. Now, the focus has shifted to a full state. The White House amplified the call by reposting the image. They shared it on their verified X account later that day.
According to Fox News Politics, neither post included an explanation. They did not say if this was an official policy plan. The Daily Wire noted that the timing fits a pattern of recent moves.
Trump did not just post a picture. He made a specific claim about his next steps. He said he directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to act. The goal is to update the Geographic Names Information System. This system tracks official place names across the country.
But there is a major legal hurdle here. According to Fox News Politics, a president lacks the unilateral power to rename a U.S. state. Unlike lakes or rivers, a state name requires more than an executive order. No formal effort to change the name has been announced yet by the President or the White House.
Fact-checkers are already on the case. Snopes debunked a viral post claiming the order was already signed. That claim was false. The Daily Wire also noted similar hoaxes appeared in April 2025. Those fake posts surfaced after the Gulf of Mexico order. The real story is more complex than the rumors.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 6, 2026
New Mexico officials were quick to dismiss the idea. A spokesperson from the governor’s office called the renaming “clearly fictitious and not grounded in any reality.” They spoke to a local outlet to set the record straight. The state has a long history with its name. The Spanish colonial territory of Nuevo México is its origin. That name predates the modern nation of Mexico by two centuries.
Spanish explorers began using “Nuevo México” in the late 1500s. The territory kept the name after joining the U.S. in 1848. It achieved statehood on Jan. 6, 1912. Changing it would be a massive legal and cultural shift.
Per Daily Wire, the White House did not immediately respond when asked to confirm plans. The Office of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also had no comment. They both declined to speak on the specific requests for details.
Public opinion seems mixed on these changes. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from Tuesday found only 14% of Americans approved of the Lake Ontario switch. Tech giants like Google and Apple updated their maps to reflect the lake change. They did not do the same for a state that still bears its old name.
The image of the crossed-out name is powerful. It sends a signal about national identity. But the legal reality remains a hard wall. The President can rename a lake with a signature. He cannot rename a state without Congress. The Daily Wire stated the post “could be little more than provocation.” It appeared alongside other posts mocking critics and showing Trump on horseback. The context suggests a mix of policy and performance.
Whether Sunday’s post reflects any actual policy intent remains unclear. The White House has not confirmed a formal renaming effort. The state of New Mexico stands as it has since 1912.
