Trump threatens to rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' amid escalating trade war with Canada

On Truth Social, President Trump announced his administration was giving "serious consideration" to renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America," linking the threat to the intensifying trade dispute with Canada. "We don't expect to be doing much business with Ontario any longer," he wrote. The statement followed his threat to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian automobiles and steel, and a day of personal insults exchanged with Ontario Premier Doug Ford. The renaming threat echoes Trump's earlier executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, establishing a pattern of weaponizing geographical renaming in diplomatic conflicts. Canadian officials, including Industry Minister Melanie Joly and Ontario Premier Ford, dismissed the threat, with Ford stating Canadians would "always call it Lake Ontario."

“The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don't expect to be doing much business with Ontario any longer.” Quote verified against source