Washington DC - President Donald Trump's name-changing spree found an unlikely new target on Sunday, when he doubled down on his suggestion that New Mexico should become "New America."
"Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico, one of the great vote cheating states of all time, to NEW AMERICA," Trump wrote on Sunday in a post to Truth Social.
"So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State," he continued. "Wow, I Love It!"
His proposal originally came as a meme he posted to Truth Social a few hours earlier, which immediately triggered widespread condemnation from Democrats and liberal commentator Harry Sisson, who described the suggestion as a "mental health episode."
His latest suggestion was immediately dismissed by the state's governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, and came only days after he signed an order to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America" in response to his self-inflicted trade war with Canada.
The White House also reposted an image showing the Mexico part of the state's name crossed out and replaced with "America." Some US media reports said the idea originated as an internet hoax.
Grisham told Fox News that the name "isn't up for debate – it's been ours since before the United States existed." She said the president wanted to "distract Americans" from issues such as soaring gas prices.
Trump last week suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz as "Trump Strait" as the war with Iran continues to drag on. Hours later, he said he was not serious about the plan.
He renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" on his first day back in the White House in a move rejected by Mexico. Canada has also rejected the attempt to rename Lake Ontario.