Trump moves to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America"
Axios
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President https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump signed an executive https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/honoring-the-american-history-of-the-great-lakes-and-renaming-lake-ontario-as-lake-america/" target="_blank">order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" on Thursday.
Why it matters: The president is following through https://www.axios.com/2026/08/25/trump-french-language-canada-lake-ontario" target="_blank">on his threat over the lake after U.S.-Canada trade negotiations collapsed.
- It is unclear whether Trump has the authority to rename a body of water shared between two nations, as he did last year when he signed a similar order renaming the https://www.axios.com/2025/02/11/gulf-of-america-google-maps-mexico" target="_blank">Gulf of Mexico the "https://www.axios.com/2025/05/08/house-passes-gulf-of-america-mexico-bill" target="_blank">Gulf of America."
Catch up quick: Trump has repeatedly posted on social media in recent days about renaming the lake, once writing that America doesn't "expect to be doing much business with Ontario any longer."
- He's also https://truthsocial.com/%40realDonaldTrump/posts/117156524147615725" target="_blank">posted images showing the lake renamed "Lake America."
By the numbers: Roughly 47% of the lake that straddles the border with the Canadian province of Ontario lies within the U.S.
What they're saying: "The United States is the greatest protector of the Great Lakes, including the body of water currently known as Lake Ontario," Trump wrote in the executive order.
- "The Lake will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping America's future and the global economy.
In recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance to our Nation's economy and its people, I am directing that the Lake officially be renamed as Lake America."
How it works: The order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and his department to update the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) to reflect the renaming of the Lake within 30 days.
- It requires all federal government references to the lake refer to the body of water as "Lake America" moving forward.
Go deeper: https://www.axios.com/2026/08/25/trump-french-language-canada-lake-ontario" target="_blank">"Lake America": Trump turns Canada feud toward Lake Ontario
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.