Lake Dream? Trump Tries to Rename Lake Ontario "Lake America"

In the heat of a US‑Canada trade brawl, President Donald Trump just signed an executive order that attempts to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America.

The move came after Canada slapped the US with a 50 % tariff on $20 bn of goods, and Canada’s counters are set to hit the same dollar‑for‑dollar next month. The order instantly sparked a flood of tweets, memes and jokes from both sides and from lawmakers across the Atlantic.

Matthew Ford, Ontario’s premier, posted on X: "Lake Ontario stays Lake Ontario, people." The idea of a national "renaming" weapon echoes Trump’s earlier "Gulf of America" swap—Mexico even sued over Google Maps keeping the original name.

While the US Interior Secretary cheered the "Lake America" revolution, a Michigan Democrat vowed to fire a Congress bill to nullify the change, calling it "idiotic." A New York governor outright refused to announce the new name.

So far, the order’s legal clout is still unclear, but it’s already making splashy headlines, turning the Great Lakes into a playground for memes, politics and diplomatic drama.