New Mexico Lawmakers Urge Apple and Google to Resist Trump's 'New America' Renaming Proposal
Quick Look
New Mexico's congressional delegation has urged Apple and Google to keep the state's name unchanged on their mapping apps after President Trump suggested renaming it 'New America,' citing constitutional authority and noting the companies' prior compliance with similar Trump-directed geographic name changes for the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
President Trump has previously issued executive orders to rename geographic features under federal jurisdiction, including the Gulf of Mexico as 'Gulf of America' and Lake Ontario as 'Lake America,' which Apple and Google have already implemented in their U.S. mapping services.
Lawmakers from New Mexico have urged Apple and Google not to rename the state on their mapping apps after President Donald Trump suggested restyling it as “New America.”
On Thursday, the state’s congressional delegation — five Democrats — sent letters to the executives of both tech companies, asking them to “publicly commit” to keeping New Mexico on Apple Maps and Google Maps.
“Let us be clear: the President has no legal authority to rename New Mexico,” the lawmakers wrote. “Our state’s name belongs to the people of New Mexico and is rooted in our history and our Constitution, which clearly states that ‘the name of this state is New Mexico.’”
Trump, who over the weekend posted at least seven maps labeling New Mexico as “New America,” has demonstrated that his renaming push is more than just a trolling attempt.
Last month, amid his trade war with Canada, he signed an executive order directing federal agencies to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” Last January, he signed a similar order rebranding the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
While the president can direct how the federal government refers to geographic features, he cannot compel foreign nations, private entities or even U.S. states to follow his lead.
Yet, both Google and Apple have updated their maps so that users in the U.S. see the new Trump-given names for both the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario.
“These updates follow our long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country, and are starting to roll out now,” Google said in a blog post.
The New Mexico lawmakers described these changes as “disappointing but unsurprising,” pointing out that both companies “have significant business interests before the federal government.”
“Because of this history, we ask each of you to publicly commit that Apple Maps and Google Maps will continue to identify the State of New Mexico as New Mexico, regardless of what the President posts on social media, what executive order he attempts to issue, or what pressure he puts on your companies,” they wrote.
The state’s delegation includes Senators Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich, and Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández, Melanie Stansbury and Gabe Vasquez.
The Independent has contacted Google and Apple for comment.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Apple and Google will publicly commit to keeping 'New Mexico' on their maps despite Trump's social media posts
Likely · Within weeks
Trump will continue to promote 'New America' as an alternative name for New Mexico on social media
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will Apple and Google comply with the lawmakers' request to keep 'New Mexico' on their maps?
- Could Trump issue an executive order attempting to rename New Mexico despite lacking legal authority over state names?
- What specific actions might the federal government take against Apple or Google if they refuse to adopt Trump's proposed name changes?
