Trump floats renaming Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’ as feud with Canada escalates
By Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN
(CNN) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday escalated his feud with Canadian leaders, suggesting the United States is considering renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” as tensions between the two countries continue to rise amid an ongoing trade war.
“The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to doing much business with Ontario any longer. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Lake Ontario is the smallest of the five Great Lakes by surface area, separating the state of New York from Ontario, Canada.
Trump’s latest jab comes a day after he warned Canada of “far WORSE” consequences if its leaders do not “fall in line,” following the collapse of trade talks between the two countries. It’s also not the first time the US president has tried to rename a body of water by adding “America,” having previously signed an order changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, accusing Canada of taking advantage of the US for decades.
“Lots of ‘bluster’ from Doug Ford, who is the Premier of the Canadian Province of Ontario, but who is better known as the less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford,” Trump wrote Monday.
“Someone should get these clowns to ‘fall in line’ or, the consequences for Canada will be far WORSE!” Trump added.
The dispute comes as Trump threatened on Monday to increase tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks, automotive parts and steel to 50% beginning January 1, 2027. Canada has vowed to respond with “dollar-for-dollar” tariffs beginning September 8.
Trump previously tried to rename a different body of water bordering the United States.
On his first day in office in his second term, Trump signed an executive order calling for the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the “Gulf of America.” US government agencies and the Coast Guard have since adopted the name, while other countries have not recognized the change.
The White House also turned the issue into a dispute with The Associated Press after the news organization continued referring to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico. A federal judge eventually ruled against the White House saying its decision to punish the AP by restricting it from Trump’s events was “unconstitutional.”
In May 2025, the House passed a Republican-led bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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