Trump Orders Lake Ontario Renamed ‘Lake America’ in Washington

Executive order directs U.S. geographic naming service to adopt new label

WASHINGTON, District of Columbia — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the U.S. government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” a move announced from the Oval Office as his administration deepened a trade dispute with Canada.

The order instructs the Interior Department to update the name in the federal government’s geographic naming system. Trump said the change was effective immediately, although the executive order says the necessary federal updates are to be completed within 30 days.

The action applies to how the United States refers to the lake, one of the Great Lakes shared by the U.S. and Canada. Trump does not have authority to require Canada to adopt “Lake America,” and there is no single international authority that sets official names for shared bodies of water.

Trump signed the order at the Resolute Desk with maps of the Great Lakes displayed behind him. One map labeled the lake “Lake America” in large red letters, while another carried the message, “MAKING THE GREAT LAKES EVEN GREATER.”

Name change arrives amid tariff fight with Canada

The Lake Ontario rename comes as relations between Washington and Ottawa have been strained by a widening tariff confrontation. The United States announced 50% tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian goods after bilateral talks broke down over the weekend, according to the Associated Press.

Canada responded this week with retaliatory tariffs targeting $20 billion in U.S. products, including steel, dairy goods, appliances and farm equipment. Trump has also repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state, an idea Canadian leaders have rejected.

Asked whether the name change was intended as a geopolitical signal, Trump said it was not, but argued that Canada had taken advantage of the United States on trade and military issues. “Canada’s been ripping us off for a long time,” he said, while also saying he loved the Canadian people.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has publicly clashed with Trump, dismissed the prospect of a U.S. name change this week as “a lot of rhetoric.” The office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lake’s name reflects Indigenous history

The name Ontario has deep regional roots. It is derived from the Huron Indigenous word oniatarí:io, commonly translated as “lake of shining waters.” The Canadian province of Ontario, established in 1867, took its name from the lake.

Trump’s order echoes his previous effort to change the U.S. government’s name for the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” Federal agencies have broad authority over the geographic terminology used in U.S. records, maps and official communications, though those choices do not alter names used by other countries or international mapmakers.

The White House did not detail which federal maps, databases or documents would be updated first. For now, the order sets a 30-day timetable for U.S. geographic naming changes, while Canada continues to recognize the waterway as Lake Ontario and the broader trade dispute remains unresolved.