Trump says U.S. may rename Lake Ontario amid trade dispute with Canada
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President Trump announced the United States is considering renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" as tensions rise over new tariffs on Canadian goods.
President Donald Trump said on his social-media platform that the United States is "giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America," citing the ongoing trade conflict with Canada. He added that the U.S. does not expect to do much business with Ontario moving forward.
The remarks came after the United States imposed 50% tariffs on hundreds of Canadian products earlier this week, following failed negotiations on a broader trade agreement. Canada responded by threatening reciprocal tariffs. On Monday, Trump announced a 50% tariff on all Canadian automotive and steel imports effective January, accusing Canada of "ripping off the United States of America for years."
"Canada will be treated like a State no longer!" Trump said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded, calling the president a "loser" and a "dictator" and vowing to "fight with everything we have." Lake Ontario borders the Canadian province of Ontario and New York state.
The naming proposal follows previous statements by Trump suggesting Canada could become a 51st state, reflecting heightened rhetoric in the bilateral dispute over trade, defense commitments and infrastructure projects.