Trump Signs Executive Order Renaming Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order changing the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” in another provocative move amid escalating tensions between the United States and Canada over trade.

Trump announced the decision on Thursday afternoon from the Oval Office, saying the new name was something he had considered for a long time.

“‘Lake of America’ was something I’ve been thinking about for a long time,” Trump said.

“We have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean. So, maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”

Surrounded by large maps of the Great Lakes, Trump said the name change was “effective immediately,” adding that his administration had “filed all the necessary papers, documents, everything else.”

A White House aide defended the move, claiming that Lake Ontario has most of its volume in the United States and that its “deepest parts” are located in US territory.

Trump’s decision comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Washington and Ottawa, particularly over trade relations.

Asked why he was focused on provoking American allies, Trump said Canadian officials had treated the United States unfairly.

“The Canadian officials have treated us very badly. They’re nasty people,” Trump said.

He further described Canadians as the “worst to deal with on trade,” accusing them of being “entitled.”