President Donald Trump took his escalating dispute with Canada in an unexpected direction Thursday, signing an executive order changing the U.S. government’s name for Lake Ontario to “Lake America.”
“We’re going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario, effective immediately, to Lake America,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “That’s going to take place right now as I sign the order.”
The move comes as tensions between Washington and Ottawa have intensified over tariffs, with both countries imposing new trade measures in recent days.
Under Trump’s order, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is directed to update the Geographic Names Information System and certify the new name within 30 days.
The administration tied the decision to Trump’s January 20, 2025, executive order concerning the names of prominent American landmarks.
“As I announced in Executive Order 14172 of January 20, 2025 (Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness), it is the policy of my Administration to recognize the extraordinary contributions of the American people and the rich heritage of our history by naming great natural landmarks for our shared achievements,” Thursday’s order stated.
BREAKING: @POTUS signs an Executive Order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America.
Here is the text of the Order:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy.… pic.twitter.com/ggfLXiD0g7
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 27, 2026
The document then made the administration’s case for the United States’ role in maintaining the Great Lakes.
“The United States is the greatest protector of the Great Lakes, including the body of water currently known as Lake Ontario,” the order said.
It specifically pointed to the U.S. Coast Guard, stating that the United States supplies nine of the 11 icebreaking vessels operating on the Great Lakes and helps keep commercial shipping lanes open.
Trump’s order also cited nearly $4 billion in American spending over the past decade to protect the Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem, while asserting that Canada spent substantially less on comparable efforts during that period.
Geography and history also figured heavily in the administration’s argument. The order noted that the deepest portions of Lake Ontario are located within U.S. territory and claimed that the United States consequently holds most of the lake’s water by volume.
“The body of water currently known as Lake Ontario is a tremendous asset to the United States and part of our Nation’s heritage,” the order declared.
Lake Ontario, however, is shared by the United States and Canada, with New York bordering the lake to the south and Ontario bordering it to the north.
The executive order also reached back to the War of 1812 and the lake’s role in American exploration, defense, settlement and commerce. It cited shipping operations that connected the American interior with eastern markets and the Atlantic Ocean.
The administration further argued that Great Lakes commerce supports hundreds of thousands of American jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity. Industries moving iron ore, limestone, coal, agricultural products and other bulk commodities were specifically mentioned.
