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Trump Suggests New Name for New Mexico Amid Lake Ontario Controversy
Confirmed
In Short: President Donald Trump has proposed renaming New Mexico as 'New America' on social media, following his executive order to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America'.
President Donald Trump has proposed renaming New Mexico as 'New America' on social media, following his executive order to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' amid escalating trade tensions with Canada, according to reports. This comes after MapQuest, a navigation app, saw a surge in downloads and usage following its decision to keep the historical name of Lake Ontario, driving it to the top of Apple's App Store rankings.
Trump signed an executive order on August 27 directing the Interior Department to officially rename Lake Ontario 'Lake America' within the United States. The move was part of a broader effort to address trade tensions with Canada, with Trump declaring that the neighboring country has been 'ripping off' the United States. However, the name 'New Mexico' predates the state by centuries and cannot be unilaterally changed by a president, according to reports.
Unlike lakes and other geographic features that can be renamed for federal use through executive action, a president cannot unilaterally rename a U.S. state. The name 'New Mexico' remains officially unchanged, and the state retains the power over its name. Trump and the White House have not announced any formal effort to change New Mexico's name, and any future changes would require legislative action.
According to reports, the president's social media platform, Truth Social, featured a post with a photo showing the map of New Mexico with 'Mexico' crossed out and replaced with 'America.' However, the president or someone else in the future could sign orders reversing those changes, as each state reserves the power over its name as the U.S. government.
Background
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- Hundreds of thousands of people downloaded the app after it reaffirmed it would continue using the historical names for lakes and gulfs, driving usage to roughly 50 times its normal level, according to MapQuest.
- The company also expanded a feature allowing users to rename Lake Ontario within the app themselves, building on a tool it first launched for the Gulf of Mexico in February 2025.
- Ericho Communications CEO Eric Yaverbaum breaks down how MapQuest's decision to keep the name Lake Ontario helped drive the app to the top of Apple's App Store.
- Trump said he directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the department to update the Geographic Names Information System to reflect the name change.