President Trump has a habit of floating provocative ideas that others rush to fill in — and a new proposal about renaming New Mexico is no exception. But one conservative commentator is taking the president’s hint and running with it in an unexpected direction: not just “New America,” but “Polkland.”
Writing for American Thinker, Noel S. Williams argues that Trump, whom he describes as a “free-thinking MAGA leader,” has “got the conversation started” by suggesting New Mexico be renamed New America. Williams agrees it’s “about time” — but he thinks there’s a better option.
A name to honor a president
Williams’s proposal: rename the Land of Enchantment “Polkland,” after President James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States. The reasoning? Polk was the architect of the Mexican-American War and the annexation of the Southwest, including what is now New Mexico, through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. By 1850, New Mexico became an incorporated U.S. territory, and it has been part of the country for roughly 176 years.
Williams makes the case that Polk is underrated, largely because of what he calls “unpatriotic and testosterone deficient wusses” who rank presidents with a bias against expansionism. He argues that Polk’s pursuit of “Manifest Destiny” — securing the Southwest and California — was essential to the country’s growth, and he brushes aside criticisms of the war as revisionist history.
“We taught them a stern lesson in Western superiority in that one; gave them a bloody good hiding, indeed,” Williams writes, in a tone that is likely to raise eyebrows beyond the conservative blog’s readership.
Why not just ‘New America’?
Williams acknowledges that “New America” has appeal, but he sees a missed opportunity. “There are several Polk counties throughout the United States, but he deserves a whole state,” he argues. Naming a state after Polk, he suggests, would be a fitting tribute to the man who “brilliantly pursued our Manifest Destiny.”
He also points to the patriotic resonance of Polk’s legacy in American culture. Katherine Lee Bates wrote the words to “America the Beautiful” around 1893, and Williams notes that many of the “purple mountain majesties” and “fruited plains” the song celebrates owe their American character to Polk’s acquisitions.
But Williams doesn’t stop at the name change for the state itself. He also calls for dropping the nickname “New Mexicans” for residents, arguing that after 176 years, it’s time to move on.
The practical hurdles
Rename a state? It’s not as simple as a presidential tweet. Williams concedes that Trump cannot do it by executive order. Renaming New Mexico would require a state constitutional amendment, approval by the state legislature, and a public vote. That’s a tall order, and Williams acknowledges it could take a long time for the idea to gain momentum.
Still, he’s optimistic that the conversation Trump started could lead somewhere. “Once it does,” he writes, “why not rename the Land of Enchantment to ‘Polkland’?”
A controversial history
The proposal is likely to reignite debates over how the U.S. acquired the Southwest. The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) remains a sensitive topic, particularly among Mexican Americans and historians who view the conflict as an act of aggression. The famous saying “We didn’t cross the border; the border crossed us” is a common refrain among those who see the treaty as a loss of Mexican territory.
Williams dismisses that view as “Nonsense!” and argues that the U.S. has maintained control of the region far longer than Mexico ever did — Mexico governed the land for only 27 years, from its independence in 1821 to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, he notes.
He also draws a contrast with Polk’s other major acquisition: the Oregon Territory, which included present-day Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and was secured from Great Britain without a shot fired. “That really isn’t so outlandish,” Williams says of naming a state after Polk.
A provocative idea in a polarized climate
The idea of renaming New Mexico is likely to remain a fringe proposal, but it fits a broader pattern of conservative commentary that seeks to reclaim or reinterpret American history. For Williams, it’s about defending the country’s expansionist past against what he sees as “revisionist apologists.”
“Now more than ever, the ability to speak our minds is crucial to the republic we cherish,” he concludes.
Whether “Polkland” ever gains traction is another matter. But in an era of provocative political gestures, the suggestion is already generating attention — and it’s not hard to imagine the president picking up on it.
This article is based on an op-ed published by American Thinker on September 8, 2026. The views expressed are those of the author, Noel S. Williams, and not necessarily those of this publication.
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/09/should-we-rename-new-mexico/