ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – President Donald Trump is calling once again for New Mexico to change its name to “New America,” while politicians from both parties rejected the idea on Monday.
Trump made the call in a social media post and said the name change would add value and prestige to the state. He also said New Mexico was known for “crooked elections.”
Democrats respond
Daniel Garcia, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of New Mexico, criticized Trump and New Mexico Republicans after the post.
“If voters needed to know before election day if the Republicans put MAGA over New Mexico, just look at how Republicans either grossly downplay or even condone Trump’s call to rename our state. Sadly, New Mexican Republicans are too MAGA and cowardly to ever disagree with Trump, even when it’s at the expense of our home. Perhaps Republicans want Donald Trump to act like a child online to distract voters from headlines of high grocery prices, unaffordable gas, and having no plans for affordable healthcare.
Whether Trump genuinely finds his own lame jokes funny or is just a deranged moron posting on social media all day — the reality is probably both. But the real joke is the abysmal Republican voter turnout this election, proving that having an immature fool as president is no laughing matter to voters.”
Democratic nominee for governor, Deb Haaland, issued the following statement in response to President Trump:
“New Mexico is New Mexico, and you lost here three times because you’re corrupt and don’t care about working people. You should be focused on ending this war, stopping these tariffs, and making things less expensive–not renaming our state.”
Republican response
Gregg Hull, the Republican nominee for New Mexico governor, also rejected the idea in a statement.
“I stand by my original statement — New Mexico does not need a new name. Our identity is defined by our rich culture, our beautiful landscape, and the resilience of our people. That identity is never up for negotiation. EVER.
Our state needs a governor who delivers for the people who call it home. What New Mexicans are focused on is simple: good paying jobs, an economy and tax system that works for working families, relief from rising costs, and energy independence that puts our state in control of its own future. That is where my focus is, and that is what this campaign is about.”
New Mexico’s Secretary of State responds to a different issue
New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver took issue with President Trump’s criticism of the state’s election process. In her own statement, she said:
“President Trump continues to push tired and patently false narratives about our voting process in New Mexico. He must stop insulting the intelligence of this state’s voters. New Mexicans know that we have repeatedly received high national rankings for administering some of the most secure and accessible elections in the country. We lead in election accuracy with hand-marked paper ballots, multiple mandatory post-election audits and continual voter roll maintenance. We lead in election security with regular testing of systems, the establishment of a statewide election security division and meaningful collaboration with state and federal safety partners. And we lead in voting accessibility with online, automatic, and same-day voter registration opportunities; no-excuse, secure mail-in voting; and a 28-day early voting period.
Yes, New Mexico’s voters know better, and I encourage each and every one of them to make it clear how much we value our robust electoral process by voting in this year’s election. Early voting is underway through October 31, and Election Day is November 3. You can check your voter registration status, see polling location information, review a sample ballot and more on NMVote.org.”
