<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Rep. <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/tom-tiffany/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tom Tiffany</a> (R-WI), the GOP gubernatorial nominee in <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/wisconsin/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wisconsin</a>, rejected President <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/donald-trump/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>‘s order changing Lake Ontario’s name to “Lake America,” stating that the only Great Lakes name change he would support is renaming Lake Michigan to “Lake Wisconsin.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I believe the Great Lakes are the Great Lakes and should stay Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario. I mean, unless you’re suggesting we name Lake Michigan Lake Wisconsin,” Tiffany <a href="https://x.com/mattsmith_news/status/2093100869956841588?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told</a> local news station WISN 12 at a campaign event on Thursday.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Tiffany clarified that his “Lake Wisconsin” remark was made “in jest,” but emphasized that “the Great Lakes are Great Lakes, and we should leave them that way.” Wisconsin borders both Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">His comments followed Trump’s signing of an executive order to change the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” amid escalating trade tensions with <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/canada/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Canada</a>.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">After trade negotiations between Canada and the United States <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/4697211/us-canada-trade-deal-collapse/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">collapsed last Friday</a>, the Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canadian Prime Minister <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/mark-carney/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mark Carney</a> responded with <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/economy/4697331/carney-us-attack-canada-tariff-retaliation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“dollar-for-dollar” retaliatory tariffs</a>, asserting that Canada was <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/economy/4697331/carney-us-attack-canada-tariff-retaliation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“attacked”</a> by the U.S.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As tensions increased over the reciprocal tariffs, Trump threatened on Truth Social to change the name of the lake between New York and Ontario on Tuesday. He implemented the name change on Thursday.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Carney stated that Canada would not follow the U.S. lead, saying that Canadians “know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Tiffany is competing in a <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/governor/race/479616" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“toss-up”</a> gubernatorial race against the Democratic candidate, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who recently won the Democratic primary against state Rep. Francesca Hong.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Limited <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/wisconsin-governor-election-polls-2026.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">polling</a> on the Tiffany-Crowley matchup has indicated that Crowley is leading by single digits.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump won Wisconsin in 2024, defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris by less than one percentage point.</p>