Trump Signs Order Renaming Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' Amid Canada Trade War

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to officially change the name of Lake Ontario to 'Lake America,' effective immediately. This decision comes as trade negotiations between the United States and Canada have recently collapsed, leading to renewed retaliatory tariffs and a significant deterioration in bilateral relations.

Trump had previously hinted at this symbolic action, though its seriousness was initially uncertain. Canadian officials have stated that they will not recognize the new designation.

During a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump declared, "We're going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario, effective immediately to Lake America." A White House official confirmed that the order instructs the Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, and his department to update the Geographic Names Information System to reflect this change.

This marks the second instance of Trump renaming a major international body of water for the United States. Earlier in his second term, he signed an order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the 'Gulf of America.' That prior attempt, targeting a gulf with a name dating back to the 16th century, met with international opposition and widespread media refusal to adopt the new name.

When questioned about the message behind renaming Lake Ontario, Trump initially responded with "No message," but quickly followed up by stating, "Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade." He elaborated, "They don't pay for anything, and they want to be treated like a state, but they're not a state," referencing his earlier controversial suggestion of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state.

This latest action is expected to further escalate tensions between the U.S. and Canada. The trade dispute intensified over the weekend when Trump imposed 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canada's response included the announcement of "dollar for dollar" retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, slated to take effect on September 8.

The original name, Lake Ontario, is derived from the Iroquoian word 'oniatarí:io,' meaning 'lake of shining waters,' according to the Center for Great Lakes Literacy. Situated as the easternmost of the five Great Lakes, it forms part of the border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York.