New Mexico Democratic lawmakers in Congress are urging Apple and Google to promise they won’t rename the state on their respective map applications in response to pressure from the federal government.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump teased he would rename New Mexico “New America” in a series of posts on Truth Social. The floated name change is not so easy to achieve, however, as the president cannot unilaterally rename a state.
Only New Mexico can rename itself if the state’s residents approve a constitutional amendment passed by the state legislature. It appears there is no appetite among state leaders on both sides of the aisle for that outcome.
Still, New Mexico Democrats are concerned about Apple and Google satisfying Trump’s “whims” by updating the state’s name on their mapping services. Both technology companies recognize Lake America, formerly Lake Ontario, and the Gulf of America, formerly the Gulf of Mexico, for U.S. users after Trump signed executive orders to rename the two bodies of water.
“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,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Apple CEO John Ternus and Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Thursday.
“Again, the name has belonged to the people of New Mexico since before the United States existed,” they said. “It should not become a political football to be negotiated between an unhinged President and two of the most powerful technology companies in the world.”
The letter was signed by all five of New Mexico’s Democratic members in Congress: Sens. Ben Ray Lujan and Martin Heinrich in addition to Reps. Melanie Stansbury, Teresa Leger Fernandez, and Gabe Vasquez.
The signatories asked Apple and Google to “publicly commit” to their request by Sept. 18.
Google complied with the executive order that renamed Lake Ontario late last month, followed by Apple a few days later. Apple Maps updated its platform after Trump contacted the company to change the Great Lake’s name, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Apple’s decision came on the same day that Ternus replaced Tim Cook as the tech company’s chief executive. Pichai has been Google’s CEO since 2015.
NEW MEXICO GOP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BRUSHES OFF TRUMP’S FLOATING NAME CHANGE TO ‘NEW AMERICA’
On a kick from changing the names of Lake Ontario and the Gulf of Mexico, Trump teased he could rename one of the two oceans bordering the United States next.
“We could go into oceans like the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic,” he said at the Republican Party’s midterm convention this week. “We can’t have both. I don’t think you can do both.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
