Fact Check: Did Mexico, New York, Rename Itself “Epstein List”?
Claim:
In October 2026, social media posts alleged that the town of Mexico, New York, voted to rename itself “Epstein List” to preemptively thwart any forced renaming efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Rating: Labeled Satire
What You Need to Know
In October 2026, a viral rumor circulated across Facebook claiming that the small town of Mexico, New York, had adopted the moniker “Epstein List.” According to the fabricated posts, Town Supervisor Mark Henderson jokingly explained, “We figured if we changed our name to something he absolutely doesn’t want to talk about, we might fly under the radar.”
This online joke emerged shortly after President Trump renewed his social media push demanding that the state of New Mexico change its name to “New America.” During his second term, Trump has utilized executive orders to unilaterally alter the names of prominent landmarks—such as rebranding the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” However, legal experts and constitutional scholars point out that a president possesses no such authority to alter the name of a state, a process that would require formal legislative approval from both Congress and the state itself.
Despite the obvious political satire, the rumor gained enough traction online that confused readers reached out to verify its authenticity.
A standard search of local and national news archives yields no record of any such municipal name change. Instead, the origin of the story traces back to The Innerloop Blog, a satirical website and social media page that explicitly describes itself as “Rochester NY’s #1 Source for Fake News.”
The claim originated purely as a satirical jab inspired by real-world political headlines, rather than actual events in Oswego County, New York.