Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America, a decision the administration said would take immediate effect. The order directs the Department of the Interior and Secretary Doug Burgum to implement the change. Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes of North America, shares borders with the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York. A White House aide confirmed the directive to the media.

The renaming comes amid escalating tensions between the US and Canada. Last week, trade talks between the two nations collapsed, with each side accusing the other of derailing negotiations. Trump railed against Canada in recent social media posts, alleging that the country has been "ripping off the US for decades" by imposing tariffs that charge US farmers over 400% higher than other nations. This has led to companies shutting down, resulting in an annual loss of $60 billion for the US economy.

Renaming bodies of water is not a new tactic for Trump. In January 2021, shortly after embarking on his second term, the Interior Department changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.