U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified tensions with Canada through a new executive order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America. The lake, lying between New York and Canada, will officially be renamed following administrative steps outlined in the order. Trump signed the directive on Thursday in the Oval Office.
Previously, Trump also renamed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. At the signing, Trump humorously remarked, “We have a gulf, and we have a lake, now all we need is an ocean.” The president attributed the name change to difficulties in trade negotiations with Canada.
We deal with a lot of people, and people oftentimes they’ll ask me, ‘Who’s the worst to deal with on trade?’ And I said, ‘That’s easy, Canada. They are the worst to trade with, and they feel entitled.’
The announcement followed a breakdown in trade talks between the two nations. Trump declared a 50% tariff on certain Canadian imports, further straining the longstanding alliance. Canada has responded with its own counter-tariffs.
The tariffs are likely to increase costs for American consumers, who are already facing high prices from tensions with Iran. Some Republicans, including Senator Susan Collins of Maine, have criticized Trump’s strategy. Collins, facing a challenging reelection campaign, described the tariffs on Canada as a mistake.
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