Trump eyes changing Lake Ontario name amid trade war with Canada

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" due to the strained relations between the United States and Ontario, Canada's most populous province. In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that the United States may not conduct much business with Ontario if the name change occurs, stating, "The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to be doing much business with Ontario any longer."

The proposed name change echoes Trump's executive order last year to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The Great Lakes, comprising Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior, collectively hold around one-fifth of the world's surface fresh water. Lake Ontario, after which the province is named, is shared by the U.S. state of New York.

The U.S. and Canada are currently embroiled in a trade dispute following Canada's suspension of trade talks last Friday. Prime Minister Mark Carney accused the U.S. of attempting to impose last-minute demands that would restrict Canada's ability to negotiate trade deals with other countries and safeguard its culture and sovereignty. In retaliation, the U.S. introduced a new round of 50% tariffs on Canadian exports worth $28 billion.

In response to the escalating tensions, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose province is home to Canada's auto industry, expressed support for Prime Minister Carney. Ford rebuked Trump, stating that he would not accept advice from a "dictator like President Trump," and likened Trump to a "king of bankruptcies." Ford emphasized that "things got a little personal" on Monday, with Trump's post about him on social media marking the personalization of the conflict.

The premier stated that the situation is time to tone down the rhetoric and focus on negotiating a fair deal for both nations, as they are each other's top customers.