AP Will Continue to Use 'Lake Ontario' Name Despite Trump's Executive Order

The Associated Press (AP) announced it will continue to refer to Lake Ontario by its original name, despite President Donald Trump's executive order to rename it as 'Lake America.' The AP, which provides a style and formatting guide for journalists, has faced criticism from the Trump administration for maintaining the original names of various landmarks. AP spokesperson Patrick Maks stated, 'The Associated Press will refer to Lake Ontario by its original name, including the name Trump has chosen when relevant.' He emphasized that as a global news agency, the AP aims to ensure that place names are recognizable to broad audiences. The White House did not respond to a request for comment regarding the AP's guidance. Trump's executive order, issued on August 27, directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to update the Geographic Names Information System to reflect the name change for Lake Ontario. The order comes amid a trade dispute between the U.S. and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney opposed the name change, noting that the name is over 400 years old and predates both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States. The AP's online stylebook highlights that the name change would only affect U.S. government references, as Canada and other international bodies are not required to recognize it. The AP did not follow Trump's lead in renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the 'Gulf of America,' citing its shared borders with Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also rejected the name change, affirming that it remains the Gulf of Mexico. The AP did comply with Trump's order to rename Denali as Mount McKinley, despite the name change back to Denali by lawmakers in 2015. The AP noted that Trump has the authority to change federal geographical names within the U.S.