U.S. President Donald Trump has ignited a new political controversy after a social media post in which he suggested that the name of the state of New Mexico be changed to "New America."

Trump posted a picture of a map on social media with the word "Mexico" crossed out in red ink and replaced with the word "America." His social media post immediately went viral and the White House shared the image on its social media accounts as well.

Trump then continued to promote the idea through social media, even going so far as to share a video made up with artificial intelligence that showed the name of the welcoming sign to New Mexico being changed.

Trump's 'New America' Proposal

Trump stated that the idea of changing the name of New Mexico came up among his supporters, suggesting that "New America" sounds more prestigious and appealing.

Trump's controversial proposal fits into a pattern of renaming important geographical locations in America.

Earlier this year, Trump ordered that the Gulf of Mexico be referred to as the "Gulf of America" for federal purposes. Recently, Trump also ordered that Lake Ontario be renamed "Lake America" for federal purposes.

Can Trump Legally Rename New Mexico?

Although the social media posts suggested otherwise, New Mexico has not actually been renamed.

Unlike some federal geographic renaming actions, there is no process by which the president can rename a U.S. state at his discretion, and New Mexico's name is even explicitly protected in the state's constitution. If the name of New Mexico is to be changed, it will have to undergo the appropriate state and constitutional procedures.

New Mexico Leaders Reject the Proposal

The idea was immediately rejected by Democratic leaders from the state of New Mexico.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham strongly opposed the idea, claiming that the name has historical value and dates back to before the founding of the United States.

Democratic legislators from the state also spoke out against the idea, supporting the name of the state and its history.

Why Is New Mexico Called New Mexico?

The name "New Mexico" has a rich, diverse history that dates back to the Spanish colonization of the region, well before the state's founding or the founding of the U.S.

The state's name comes from the phrase used at the time to refer to the area north of the Rio Grande. New Mexico became the 47th state to join the Union in 1912.

Trump's Growing Renaming Campaign

• Trump's most recent attempt to rename New Mexico has joined a list of attempts by the president to rename certain geographic locations or rename them with different terms.
• In addition to ordering the change in the official name of the Gulf of Mexico, Trump's administration has also sought to change the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for federal purposes.
• These actions have sparked political and public controversy about American identity, federal name changes and presidential power.
• For now, however, New Mexico remains New Mexico. Trump's "New America" map is nothing more than a social media idea, and not an official change to the name of the state.