Defending State Identity
New Mexico Lawmakers Urge Tech Giants to Preserve Official State Name on Maps
Anonymous
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The letter was signed by U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich and Reps. Gabe Vasquez, Teresa Leger Fernández and Melanie Stansbury, all Democrats; it was addressed to Apple CEO John Ternus and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
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Trump’s social media posts first displayed New Mexico as “New America” on a map and later endorsed the idea, writing: “So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!”
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The delegation specifically asked Apple and Google to keep using “New Mexico” regardless of what Trump posts, any executive order he attempts to issue or pressure he applies to the companies.
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The letter identified the companies’ federal business interests as including antitrust enforcement, tariffs, artificial-intelligence and online-platform regulation, and federal contracting opportunities.
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The lawmakers cited Google’s $24.5 million settlement of Trump’s lawsuit over YouTube’s suspension of his account after the Jan. 6 attack, along with corporate donations by Google and Apple to Trump’s White House ballroom project.
New Mexico's Democratic congressional delegation sent a letter to Apple and Google asking them to keep the state's name unchanged on their maps, regardless of President Donald Trump's push to rebrand it as "New America." iTechPost The lawmakers—Sens. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich, and Reps. Gabe Vasquez, Teresa Leger Fernández, and Melanie Stansbury—argue Trump lacks legal power to rename the state, which would require a state constitutional amendment.
Trump first floated the idea on social media, posting a map showing "New America" and later writing: "So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!" KGET The delegation cited the companies' past compliance with Trump's preferred names for the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario, and noted their significant federal business interests at stake.
Why Trump Wants to Rename New Mexico
President Trump proposed renaming the state to "New America" in recent social media posts, calling the current name less prestigious. iTechPost He has not issued an official executive order yet, but the posts signal his intent to push the change. Legal experts note that state names cannot be altered by presidential decree—only through state constitutional amendments passed by voters.
Tech Giants' Previous Compliance With Trump's Requests
Apple and Google have previously updated their mapping services to reflect Trump's preferred geographic names. WSPA The companies renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" and Lake Ontario in response to his requests. New Mexico lawmakers warned that agreeing to rename their state would set a dangerous precedent of allowing a president to unilaterally alter official state names without legal authority.
Lawmakers Highlight Companies' Federal Business Interests
The delegation emphasized Apple and Google's substantial stakes with the federal government, including antitrust enforcement, tariff negotiations, artificial-intelligence regulation, and federal contracting opportunities. ABC27 The letter cited Google's $24.5 million settlement of Trump's lawsuit over YouTube's suspension of his account after January 6, plus corporate donations by both companies to Trump's White House ballroom project, as evidence of their leverage over the companies.
New Mexico's Constitutional Right to Its Name
The lawmakers stressed that New Mexico's name is embedded in the state constitution and belongs to its residents, not the president. WFXRTV They asked Apple and Google to publicly commit to keeping "New Mexico" on their maps regardless of Trump's social media posts, executive orders, or pressure campaigns. The delegation framed the request as defending state sovereignty and protecting residents' constitutional rights.
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