Donald Trump orders renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America

US President Donald Trump has officially signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” effective immediately. The move follows the recent collapse of intense three-day trade negotiations between the United States and Canada, which were marked by the imposition of significant tariffs on automotive and steel products. Trump, who had previously ordered the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” in early 2025, stated that the decision reflects his administration's shift away from cooperation with the Canadian province of Ontario.

The administrative change, which Trump claims requires only “intelligence and a pen,” is being directed through the Department of the Interior and Secretary Doug Burgam. While the US administration is proceeding with the formal nomenclature update, the Canadian government under Prime Minister Mark Carney has remained largely silent. Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc stated previously that the federal government does not intend to engage with the president's social media commentary regarding diplomatic disputes.

Historically, Lake Ontario serves as a shared geographic landmark between the Canadian province and the US state of New York. The process for official federal recognition of the name change is expected to follow procedures similar to those seen during the previous Gulf of Mexico renaming, which took approximately two weeks to be fully implemented by the US Board on Geographic Names.