President Donald Trump has renamed Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’ amid rising trade tensions with Canada. This move came after accusations that Canada has been exploiting trade with the United States. This symbolic action has stirred reactions from Canadian officials.
Reactions and Background
The renaming was reported by senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy, who highlighted the lack of Canadian response to the impulsive change. The White House amplified this message by promoting Trump’s critiqued idea to rename New Mexico as ‘New America.’ An image posted on Trump’s Truth Social account depicted this idea with ‘Mexico’ crossed out and replaced by ‘America.’
Details on Renaming Actions
The White House’s verified X account shared this image shortly after. Neither Trump nor his administration explained whether these ideas are part of a genuine policy shift. Nonetheless, the renaming of Lake Ontario is a formal action. It follows an executive order signed recently, amid tariff disputes between the US and Canada.
President Trump tasked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum with updating the Geographic Names Information System to reflect this name change. Major digital map services like Google and Apple have updated their platforms for U.S. users accordingly.
Public Reaction and Historical Context
A recent poll highlighted that most Americans disapprove of the name change for Lake Ontario. Trump’s renaming actions extend to the Gulf of Mexico, now called the ‘Gulf of America,’ early in his second term. However, presidents cannot rename U.S. states or regions unilaterally.
The name ‘New Mexico’ has historic roots, dating back to Spanish explorers in the 1500s. The territory retained its name after becoming part of the United States in 1848 and statehood in 1912.
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