Ankara: US President Donald Trump shared a photo in which the word "Mexico" in the New Mexico state name appeared to be crossed out and replaced with "America."

According to Anadolu Agency, Trump did not provide an official explanation for the post on his social media platform Truth Social. It remains unclear whether the image was meant rhetorically or reflects any plans within the administration to rename the state.

The post follows previous efforts by Trump to change geographical names. He signed an executive order on Jan. 20, 2025, directing the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, a move that drew opposition from Mexico. On Aug. 27, he signed another order renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America" amid escalating trade tensions with Canada.

New Mexico became a US territory in the mid-19th century following the Mexican-American War. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 formally ceded the region, along with California, to the United States.

Local officials in New Mexico did not immediately respond to the US president's post. The White House did not immediately respond to Anadolu's request for comment.