The rumor follows previous public debates regarding presidential geographic redesignations.
WASHINGTON, DC: Following an executive directive from President Donald Trump that officially designated Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for federal purposes, a fresh wave of misinformation quickly spread across social media.
A widely shared post alleged that the president had signed another executive order to change the name of New Mexico to “New America.” This latest story capitalizes on ongoing public discourse surrounding actual geographic renaming initiatives, such as the Lake Ontario modification.
Let’s examine the facts behind this viral claim.
Claim: Trump signed an executive order renaming New Mexico to New America
The misconception began with a post on X (formerly Twitter) by an account named Daily News Talk.
The message asserted, “Donald Trump has signed an executive order to change the name of New Mexico to New America.” To lend it a veneer of authenticity, the post featured a standard portrait of Trump alongside a digitally altered map that relabeled the state as “New America” while keeping recognizable cities like Albuquerque and Santa Fe visible.
The narrative leans on genuine actions taken by the administration, including a 2025 directive substituting “Gulf of Mexico” with “Gulf of America” in federal documents, and the 2026 Lake Ontario re-designation.
Within a short span, the post accumulated over 1.9 million views, leading many online users to question its validity.
Reactions varied wildly; one user inquired, “Is this true?” Another responded, “This is a joke right…..????” Meanwhile, a third remarked, “That now would be an imbecile move. Now he also intends to change the name of New York and New England?”
Fact Check: False, the post originated from a parody source
The assertion that Donald Trump issued an order to rename New Mexico “New America” is entirely untrue. The rumor stems from @DailyNoud, a self-described satirical account whose profile explicitly states that it publishes fabricated content independent of any legitimate news agency.
A thorough search of official White House archives, the Federal Register, and documented executive actions from 2025 and 2026 reveals no such order exists.
While the administration has indeed pursued specific renaming efforts—such as the August 2026 mandate requiring federal bodies to use “Lake America” and the prior year’s “Gulf of America” instruction—none of these apply to the state of New Mexico.
Similar satirical rumors surfaced in April 2025 following the Gulf of America directive, which independent verification groups quickly debunked. No official statements, social media announcements, or government documents support the latest iteration of this rumor.
Furthermore, under United States constitutional and legal frameworks, a president lacks the authority to unilaterally alter the name of a sovereign state through a mere executive order; such a sweeping change would require proper legislative and constitutional procedures.