Trump Renames Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’
President Trump signed an executive order Thursday renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America, a move that comes as trade tensions with Canada escalate.
The update
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” The order directs federal agencies to update maps, documents, and databases to reflect the change. The president stated the name change takes effect immediately.
Why it matters
The move occurs as the United States and Canada engage in a spiraling trade war. Trade talks collapsed last week, and the U.S. imposed new tariffs on Canadian goods. Trump has previously suggested Canada should become the 51st state of the United States. He criticized Canada’s trade relationship with the U.S., claiming the country has “been ripping us off for a long time.”
What to watch
Legal experts note that the U.S. president has no authority to rename the portion of the lake that belongs to Canada. Canada’s Industry Minister Melanie Joly stated the country will continue to call the water body Lake Ontario. The move follows a similar executive order Trump signed upon returning to the White House in January 2025, which changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Sources
- aljazeera.com — Core reporting of the signing and context of the trade war
- bbc.co.uk — Details on the legal authority of the name change and Canada's response
- theguardian.com — Context on the previous Gulf of Mexico name change and trade figures