Stansbury's defence of New Mexico's name returned to the centre of a political dispute on Monday, 19 October 2026, when President Donald Trump renewed his call to rename the US state 'New America'. The Democratic congresswoman had previously rejected the idea, arguing that the state's name and identity belonged to its people.
Trump first raised the prospect in September, posting an altered map with 'Mexico' crossed out and 'America' inserted. The suggestion drew criticism from New Mexico officials, including Stansbury, who said that the state's history could not be rewritten by the White House.
