Trump orders Lake Ontario renamed Lake America amid trade war with Canada

President Donald Trump has escalated his trade war with Canada by ordering the renaming of Lake Ontario to "Lake America." The executive order, signed at the White House, is seen as a further provocation amid deepening trade tensions between the two North American neighbours.

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We’re going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario effective immediately to Lake America.

Trump declared that "Canadian officials have treated us very badly. They're nasty people." He identified Canada as the "worst to trade with," intensifying rhetoric as trade talks collapsed last week. Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs, with Prime Minister Mark Carney stating, "You're at war when you get attacked. We got attacked."

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The Canadian officials have treated us very badly. They’re nasty people.

While Canada has not immediately commented, it is unlikely to accept the renaming of the lake, which borders Canada's Ontario province and New York state. This action mirrors Trump's earlier renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, a move that lacks international recognition. Trump even hinted at potentially renaming the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, stating, "Now all we need is an ocean."

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People, oftentimes, they’ll ask me who’s the worst to deal with on trade? And I said that’s easy. Canada. They are the worst to trade with.

The name "Ontario" itself is derived from the indigenous Huron word "Ontari'io," meaning "great lake" or "beautiful water." The renaming by Trump appears to be a symbolic gesture in the ongoing trade dispute, further straining relations between the two countries.

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You’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked.