Trump signs order renaming Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’ in the United States

President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” escalating tensions with Canada amid a growing trade war. The change applies only to U.S. federal geographic naming; Trump cannot require Canada or other countries to adopt it.

The move comes after the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian goods, prompting Canada to retaliate with tariffs on an equal amount of American products. Trump has repeatedly criticized Canada on trade and defense and has previously suggested it should become the 51st state.

Canadian leaders strongly rejected the renaming. Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized the lake’s Indigenous name and history, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford said it will remain Lake Ontario “now and forever.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also said her state would not use the new name.

The lake’s name derives from the Huron word “oniatarí:io,” meaning “lake of shining waters,” and predates both the United States and Canada.

Bottom line: The renaming has little international effect but serves as another symbolic expression of Trump’s increasingly confrontational relationship with Canada, following his earlier decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”