RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 33 sourcesHe said the change only requires "a good pen and some intelligence." Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images
Trump on Thursday signed an executive order, which he said "immediately" changed the name of a Great Lake.
It's now "Lake America," not "Lake Ontario," Trump said.
The move is the latest escalation between the feuding neighbors.
President Donald Trump 's fight with Canada has spilled into Lake Ontario — er, Lake America?
On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order that he said would "immediately" rename the body of water to "Lake America." Canadian officials have said they will not recognize the new name.
The order directs the US government to adopt "Lake America" as the official name for federal maps, contracts, and documents. It does not require private map providers to adopt the change. Apple and Google didn't immediately respond to questions about whether they would update their maps.
The move comes as relations between Washington and Ottawa rapidly deteriorate . Trade talks between the neighboring countries broke down on Friday, which prompted new tariffs from the US. Canada responded with its own tariffs, while Trump is threatening potential 50% tariffs on auto and steel imports from Canada, set for January 1.
Trump had threatened to rename the lake several times since the tensions flared.
In a video posted to Truth Social, Trump said renaming the lake only required "a good pen and some intelligence," while crossing out the name on a paper map.
"We're on it, Mr. President," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote on X . "The places and waters that border our nation and support our economy should reflect the greatness of the United States."
He's already published a secretarial order to the Board on Geographic Names to "immediately rename the body of water known as Lake Ontario to Lake America."
Several Democratic leaders mocked the renaming. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers posted a video of himself signing a restaurant napkin that declared Lake Michigan "Lake Wisconsin."
"See, I can sign napkins that say things, too," he wrote .
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had a blunter response.
New York won’t be calling it that. https://t.co/FJQonEk8tI
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) August 27, 2026
The lake — whichever name you give it — runs along New York State's northwest and Ontario's southwest borders. It's the smallest of the Great Lakes by surface area.
In the executive order, the US said it invested nearly $4 billion in "protecting the Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem in the last decade," including providing nine of the eleven ice-breaking vessels.
According to a US Geological Survey update, the agency is updating the Geographic Names Information System to reflect the change.
It's the second time that Trump has renamed a major body of water during his second term. In January 2025, he signed an executive order to rename the "Gulf of Mexico" the " Gulf of America. "
The change could soon extend beyond federal records and appear on widely used digital maps.
GNIS name changes have been cited by Google in the past as a reason to update names on its map. When Mexico threatened legal action against Google over "Gulf of America" map changes following Trump's executive order, the tech company responded in a letter that the change was made to reflect an update from the GNIS and would only be visible to US-based users. Google added in the letter that Google Maps users in Mexico would continue to see "Gulf of Mexico," while people elsewhere in the world would be shown both names.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
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