New Mexico –
On Labor Day weekend, President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social the idea of renaming New Mexico to New America. It had the word Mexico crossed out with America above it. It caught the ire of many New Mexicans and New Mexican politicians. But, President Trump does NOT have the power to rename a state.
According to the 10th Amendment in the Constitution under Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1 (The Admissions Clause): This clause governs the creation of new states. It explicitly mandates that “no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.“
President Trump has changed the name of geographical things on the map and he can do that under an Executive Order. A president can command federal agencies—such as the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names—to change how a geographic feature is documented on federal maps, documents, and websites. Last week, President Trump changed Lake Ontario to Lake America.
It is doubtful the renaming situation will be taken serious by anyone, nor will it gain any traction in the New Mexico legislative or executive branch.
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