Washington — On Thursday, August 27th, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America." This move follows a threat the president made earlier in the week on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he indicated the U.S. was seriously considering the name change and posted a map crossing out "Lake Ontario."

"We're going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario, effective immediately, to Lake America," President Trump said before signing the order in the Oval Office. The executive order instructs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to update the Geographic Names Information System to reflect the new name.

While the president cannot compel other countries or international organizations to adopt the new name, he can require the U.S. federal government to do so. The order comes amid an escalating trade dispute with Canada, which President Trump criticized, saying, "Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade, very, very sadly."

Recent trade actions include the imposition of 50% tariffs on some Canadian imports such as wine and dairy, effective Saturday, and an announcement of 50% tariffs on all Canadian steel and automotive imports starting in January. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced retaliatory measures beginning in September.

NBC News' Monica Alba reported on the executive order and questioned whether the president has the authority to rename the body of water internationally.

Sources