Trump Signs Executive Order to Rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' in Nationalist Stunt Amid Trade Dispute
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President Donald Trump has signed an order to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America,' a provocative move coinciding with his administration’s escalating trade war against Canada.
In a display of nationalist bravado, President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order instructing the U.S. Interior Department to erase the name 'Lake Ontario' from the Geographic Names Information System and replace it with 'Lake America,' effective immediately. This symbolic rebranding targets the Great Lake that forms part of the border between New York and the Canadian province of Ontario, further stoking tensions with America’s northern neighbor.
The move comes as Trump’s administration continues to sabotage trade negotiations with Ottawa, resulting in a tit-for-tat tariff escalation. The United States recently slapped a punitive 50% tariff on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports, while Canada responded with matching tariffs set to begin in early September, offering only minor relief for seafood products.
From the Oval Office, Trump justified the name change as a message on trade, repeating his baseless claim that Canada has 'been ripping us off for a long time.' He even hinted at further symbolic attacks on other bodies of water, underscoring the administration’s penchant for performative gestures over substantive policy.
A White House official confirmed that Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has been tasked with updating the official geographic database—another example of the administration’s willingness to waste government resources on divisive theatrics. This marks the second time Trump has attempted to forcibly rename a major body of water, following his internationally condemned order to rebrand the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America.'
Canadian officials have made it clear they will not recognize the new name, and this latest stunt is expected to deepen the rift in an already strained relationship between the two countries.