# Trump's renaming of gulfs & lakes? Now he's trying states . . **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [September 7, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-renaming-of-gulfs-lakes-now-hes-trying-states/1032878 "2026-09-07T17:24:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 36
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-renaming-of-gulfs-lakes-now-hes-trying-states/1032878/36 "2026-09-09T12:24:00Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > The acts that authorized New Mexico to become a state aren’t “valid until repealed” types of laws, they are completed facts, and the Constitution doesn’t provide any mechanism for undoing those. That’s why it would take an amendment. If the federal government can simply undo facts of admission without a Constitutional amendment, then the 10th Amendment has no real meaning. This argument confused me. Granted, I’m not a lawyer, but I don’t understand a distinction between “completed fact” laws & “valid until repealed” laws. Aren’t _ **all** _ laws valid until repealed? Hell, even the [18th Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) (Prohibition) was repealed, but _that_ specifically took the [21st Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-first_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) to repeal because of the form of the “Act” in the first place (an Amendment). My point is that _any_ law can be repealed with a similar structure/level law . . . But then I came across [this thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-us-state-change-its-name/501043) which I think clarified things. . . I believe your point is that each state, during its enablement & organization period \*whatever that looks like), includes a step where the _inhabitants_ choose to name themselves, as is their right (a States right). The Feds coming in and renaming New Jersey to “East Palookuhstan” is an infringement on the New Jersey’s inherent right to be called by what _it_ wants to, which is where you bring in the 10th Amendment point . . . Do I have that correct? Tripler Again, IANAL. I merely play one on TV. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-renaming-of-gulfs-lakes-now-hes-trying-states/1032878)._