Published: 18:31 BST, 27 August 2026 | Updated: 08:07 BST, 28 August 2026
Donald Trump has signed an executive order officially changing Lake Ontario's name to Lake America, his latest attack on Canada in an escalating trade war.
'I guess the purpose of this, more than anything else, is we're going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario, effective immediately to Lake America. That's going to take place right now as I sign the order,' the President said.
According to Trump, this official order is effective immediately, as he set his pen to paper.
'We defend Canada for nothing, we don't get anything,' he told reporters in the Oval Office when asked what prompted these changes. 'We love the people of Canada, but their representatives aren't doing an appropriate job.'
Trump says he has been thinking of this name change for a 'long time.'
The President announced the tariff increase after the two countries failed to reach a trade deal on Friday, sparking a tense back-and-forth between Trump and Canada's prime minister Mark Carney.
Trump is set to increase tariffs on cars, trucks, automotive parts and steel from Canada to 50 percent by 2027.
'On Trade, and in other ways, also, they are among the worst Nations in the World to deal with. They feel entitled, and yet, we don't need Canada, they need us,' Trump said on Truth Social.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to officially rename Lake Ontario in Canada to Lake America today
The White House posted this photo on their X account showing the newly named 'Lake America'
'I deal with many countries, and Canada is easily the most difficult and unreasonable,' Trump wrote on social media
According to Trump, this official order is effective immediately, as he set his pen to paper
The executive order signed today directs Secretary Burgum and the Department of the Interior to update the Geographic Names Information Service to reflect an official name change.
Trump detailed that most of the lake actually sits in US territory.
