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Trump renames Lake Ontario
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” and the move was framed as part of an escalating trade dispute with Canada.
“The United States is seriously considering changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America”
ABC reported Trump wrote on his Truth Social profile that “The United States is seriously considering changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America,” linking the idea to his expectation that the U.S. would not “continue doing a lot of business with Ontario.”
Al Jazeera said Trump posted a video of him crossing out Lake Ontario on a map and writing ‘Lake America’ instead, describing it as coming amid escalating tensions after trade talks failed.
The executive order was described by El Confidencial as directing the change for U.S. federal use, and it was also tied to Trump’s broader claims about trade and defense in remarks that included “we defend Canada for free.”
Canadians laugh, officials push back
In Kingston, Ont., CBC quoted mayor Bryan Paterson saying, “The primary reaction is just laughter,” after Trump’s executive order was signed Thursday and described as renaming the lake “effective immediately.”
CBC also reported Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the name change, writing that the lake takes its title from “theWendat word Ontari’io,” meaning “'the lake is beautiful, the lake is big.'”
WXYZ Channel 7 said Canadian Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly responded, “We'll always call it Lake Ontario, period,” while Vlad Biscan of Windsor said, “We're laughing about it, it's a joke. Come on Mr. Trump.”
On the U.S. side, WXYZ Channel 7 quoted Chris Turner saying, “In Michigan we're surrounded by great lakes,” and Sandy Turner adding that “HOMES” has to stay Ontario, while Aaron Fisk said the name Ontario predates both countries by more than a century.
Trade war backdrop and fallout
The renaming was repeatedly placed alongside tariff escalation, with ABC saying the confrontation worsened after Trump threatened to impose 50% tariffs on trucks, auto parts, and Canadian-origin steel starting January 1, 2027.
“threatened to impose 50% tariffs on trucks, auto parts, and Canadian-origin steel”
ABC also reported Prime Minister Mark Carney called the American demands part of Washington’s plan to “subordinate Canada” and said Trump’s new tariffs show he wants to “destroy” the country’s main industries, while Doug Ford told CNN that tariffs make life more expensive for ordinary American citizens.
CP24 said officials south of the border echoed Canadian criticism, calling the move “pathetic” and a “distraction” from failed trade talks that resulted in U.S. tariffs being imposed on nearly $28 billion worth of Canadian goods.
In the same trade-war context, WXYZ Channel 7 quoted Trump saying, “As you know, Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade,” while WXYZ also reported Fisk’s view that the name change could affect how scientists and agencies handle the lake moving forward.