President Trump Signs Executive Order to Rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America'

On August 27, 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America.' This decision follows the president's ongoing trade tensions with Canada. Trump stated, 'This is official, effective immediately,' after signing the order in the Oval Office. He mentioned that he had completed all necessary paperwork for the name change. The executive order claims that since the deepest parts of the lake's waters lie within U.S. territory, the United States asserts ownership over most of the lake's volume. Trump commented on the name change, saying, 'No message. As you know, Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade.' He added that Canada does not contribute fairly and expressed that they want to be treated like a state, which he refuted. Lake Ontario has been known by its current name since at least the 1600s. Trump previously attempted to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the 'Gulf of America,' a directive that was followed by the Interior Department, Google, and Apple, although it has not been widely adopted globally. Trump suggested that further renaming could occur, including possibly changing the names of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Canadian maritime attorney Marc Isaacs stated that the U.S. name change would not impact Canada, asserting, 'The Americans can call it whatever they want to call it. It is Lake Ontario.' Canadian Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly responded to Trump's threats by affirming, 'We’ll always call it Lake Ontario. Period. We’re proud of our Great Lakes.'