Trump Officially Renames 'Lake Ontario' As 'Lake America' | Forbes

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday renaming "Lake Ontario" as "Lake America," making good on a threat issued days earlier amid a deepening trade war with Canada.

## Key Facts

Trump, explaining the change to reporters at the Oval Office signing on Thursday, said it was "something I've been thinking about for a long time, actually."

The order directs the secretary of the interior to update the Geographic Names Information System within 30 days to reflect the change.

It also instructs the change be made on all federal government references, including on executive department and agency maps, contracts and other documents.

Trump issued the threat to rename Lake Ontario earlier this week as Canada prepared to announce retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. for the 50% levies Trump imposed over the weekend on a range of Canadian goods.

Trump, teasing the official change, posted a video of himself on Wednesday from the Oval Office crossing out "Lake Ontario" on a map and writing, "Lake America."

He first proposed the name change on Truth Social on Tuesday, writing "we don't expect to be doing much business with Ontario any longer."

## Tangent

Trump suggested during the signing ceremony Thursday he could change the name of the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean next, so that America has a gulf, lake and ocean named after it, though it's unclear if he was serious. Trump renamed the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America" in a January 2025 executive order.

## Key Background

Trump implemented 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods to take effect on Saturday. He initially threatened the tariffs in July, pending a 30-day negotiating period. The tariffs impact alcohol, dairy, cars and also include obscure products such as sledgehammers, tortoise shells and Christmas decorations. The move prompted Canada to announce on Tuesday tariffs ranging from 15% to 50% on 700 U.S. products, effective Sept. 8. The tariffs are unlikely to have a significant impact on either country's economy - the U.S. tariffs impact about 5% of Canadian exports, and the Canadian tariffs affect about 6% of U.S. exports, according to the Wall Street Journal. But Canada's tariffs are also designed to put "political pressure" on the Trump administration by targeting specific states with competitive midterm elections, Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly said, as economic concerns and Trump's low approval rating could threaten Republicans' reelection chances.

## chief critic

In a post on X, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote: "The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontario, which, appropriately, means 'the lake is beautiful, the lake is big'.

The name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.

We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms.

Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario - then, now and always."