(WASHINGTON) — executive order changing the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” “effective immediately” amid the ongoing trade war between the United States and Canada.
“The lake change — ‘Lake of America’ — was something I’ve been thinking about for a long time,” said Trump, who was flanked by two large boards that depicted the label “Lake America.”
The president can unilaterally change a geographic name for official U.S. federal government use, like his action via executive order in January of 2025 renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” However, he can’t dictate what other countries or international bodies call it.
In social media posts over the past few days, Trump has repeatedly suggested he would change the name of the lake on the U.S.-Canada border.
The lake’s name change comes amid the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and Canada. Negotiations between the countries broke down over the weekend and a fresh round of 50% U.S. tariffs on some Canadian goods took effect on Saturday, leading Canada to retaliate with a set of its own levies.
“The Canadian officials have treated us very badly. They’re nasty people,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Thursday. “People oftentimes they’ll ask me who’s the worst to deal with on trade, and I said that’s easy, Canada. They are the worst to trade, and they feel entitled, and just we can’t have that.”
When asked by a reporter about what his message is with the name change, the president said he has “no message,” but did criticize Canada.
“No message, as you know, Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade, very sadly,” Trump said.
Asked why he is focused on doing things like this to America’s allies rather than focusing on other issues, Trump cited his belief that Canada has treated the U.S. “very badly” with regards to trade for many years — an argument he has used as justification for the sweeping tariffs he has imposed upon America’s northern neighbor.
In a statement to ABC News, Ontario premier Doug Ford said of the move, “He can change it to whatever he wants. But it will always be Lake Ontario to all Canadians and the rest of the world!”
Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, agreed with Ford that it will always be known as Lake Ontario and said “Canada is not our enemy.”
“It is our neighbor, our ally, and one of Michigan’s most important economic partners. It is a friendship that no stroke of a pen can erase,” she said in a statement.
Trump suggested other name changes could be ahead.
“If you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean,” Trump said. “So maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”
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