Trump Orders U.S. Agencies to Refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America”

08/29/2026 / By Belle Carter

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for use by U.S. geographic naming services, according to the White House. The order directs the Interior Department to update the lake’s name in the U.S. geographic naming service and does not carry authority over Canadian naming conventions.

The action coincides with an escalation of the U.S. trade dispute with Canada, including newly announced 50% tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian goods, according to the Associated Press. Trump signed the order at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, where a map of the Great Lakes with the words “LAKE AMERICA” in red letters over Lake Ontario was displayed behind him, the AP reported.

Executive Order Directs Interior Department to Implement Change Within 30 Days

The executive order requires the name change to take effect within 30 days, though Trump stated the change is “official, effective immediately,” the AP reported. The order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the Board on Geographic Names to update federal maps and documents, according to Just the News ^[1].

Trump displayed two maps during the signing: one labeling Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in red letters and another reading “MAKING THE GREAT LAKES EVEN GREATER,” according to the report. Trump said he had “notified all of the various people that we have to notify,” adding, “we’ve done everything that you have to do” per the AP. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum confirmed that the U.S. Geological Survey would update American maps to reflect the new name, stating, “We’re on it, Mr. President!” according to Just the News ^[2].

Order Follows Breakdown of Trade Negotiations With Canada

The U.S. announced 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods over the weekend after talks between the two countries broke down, according to officials cited by the BBC ^[3]. Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of American goods this week, including steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment, the report stated ^[4]. Canadian Minister of National Revenue François-Philippe Champagne said, “Canada will match the United States tariffs, dollar for dollar, rate for rate,” according to 100percentfedup.com ^[5].

Trump said Canada has “been ripping us off for a long time” on trade and military issues, adding, “They wanted to be treated like a state and they’re not a state,” according to The Epoch Times ^[6]. The escalating dispute follows Trump’s earlier “Liberation Day” tariffs and has threatened one of the world’s largest trading relationships, according to NTD ^[4].

Canadian and State Officials Dismiss the Renaming Action

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move, stating the name predates both Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and wrote that “naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always,” according to The Epoch Times ^[7]. Ontario Premier Doug Ford wrote on X: “It’s Lake Ontario to Canadians and the rest of the world. Now and forever,” and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston called the action “real foolishness,” saying “It’s Lake Ontario, buddy,” according to the Associated Press.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat whose state borders the lake, wrote that “New York won’t be calling it that,” according to the report. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said, “We’ll always call it Lake Ontario, period,” describing the lake as part of the “foundation of this country,” according to NTD ^[8].

Name Change Follows Prior Geographic Renaming and Faces Jurisdictional Limits

The lake’s name derives from the Huron Indigenous people’s word “oniatarí:io,” meaning “lake of shining waters,” and the province of Ontario took its name from the lake when it was founded in 1867, according to the Associated Press. Canada’s name itself derives from the Huron-Iroquois word Kanata, meaning settlement, according to Robert L. Maddex in “Constitutions of the World” ^[9].

No single international body determines names of international bodies of water, and the action parallels Trump’s previous renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” officials said ^[1]. Trump suggested the renaming effort may continue, stating, “So, if you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean. So maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific,” according to the AP. The executive order explains that the U.S. claims most of the lake’s volume and its deepest parts lie within U.S. territory, according to Just the News ^[1].

References

Just the News. “Trump signs executive order renaming Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’.” August 27, 2026.
Just the News. “Doug Burgum announces map updates to include ‘Lake America’ after Trump order.” August 27, 2026.
BBC News. “Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America.” August 27, 2026.
NTD. “Canada Announces Retaliatory Tariffs on $20 Billion Worth of US Goods.” August 25, 2026.
100percentfedup.com. “Canada Announces Retaliatory Tariffs On Hundreds Of American Products As Trade War Intensifies.” August 25, 2026.
The Epoch Times. “Trump Signs Executive Order to Change the Name of Lake Ontario to Lake America.” August 27, 2026.
The Epoch Times. “Carney Rejects Trump’s Renaming of Lake Ontario.” August 28, 2026.
NTD. “Trump Says US May Rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ Amid Spat With Ford.” August 25, 2026.
Maddex, Robert L. “Constitutions of the World.”