Trump signs executive order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that directs U.S. federal agencies to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” on all American maps, documents and databases. The order, part of Trump’s escalating trade dispute with Canada, applies only to the United States’ side of the lake; it cannot compel Canada, international bodies, or global mapmakers to adopt the new name. The move follows a similar renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” early in Trump’s second term, and the president hinted he might eventually target the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as well. The announcement was made from the Oval Office, where a large map of the Great Lakes region displayed the proposed “Lake America” label in red.

The name change has been widely rejected by Canadian officials and U.S. state leaders. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, referencing the Indigenous Wendat origins of the name, posted on X that the lake’s historic name predates both Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence, emphasizing that “naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always.” Governors from New York, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nova Scotia also dismissed the order, with New York’s Kathy Hochul stating the state will not use the new name and Wisconsin’s Tony Evers mocking the effort by posting a video of himself renaming Lake Michigan to “Lake Wisconsin.” The renaming attempt comes amid a broader trade clash, after Washington imposed a 50 % tariff on several Canadian imports and threatened further duties on steel, trucks, cars and auto parts, prompting Canada to retaliate with 25‑50 % tariffs on hundreds of U.S. goods.

The dispute underscores heightened tensions between the two NATO allies, with Trump accusing Canada of exploiting the United States through a $60 billion trade deficit largely driven by oil imports and alleging unfair treatment of American farmers. While the executive order is effective immediately for U.S. agencies, its practical impact is limited; the deepest part of the lake lies in U.S. territory, but the majority of its volume and the Canadian shoreline remain unaffected. Analysts note that the symbolic gesture is unlikely to change any legal or commercial realities, but it adds a provocative layer to an already strained bilateral relationship.

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