Trump Signs Executive Order Renaming Lake Ontario 'Lake America'

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday, August 27, 2026, directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America." The order comes amid an escalating trade war between the United States and Canada. The order directs federal agencies, including the Interior Department, to update the Geographic Names Information System and adopt the new name on U.S. maps, documents, and databases. Trump does not have legal authority to rename Canada's portion of the lake, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border, nor can he compel Canada, international legal bodies, international mapmakers, or the broader world to adopt the new name. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the renaming attempt. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul publicly pushed back against the order. Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded by erecting a large billboard declaring "Lake Ontario" in apparent defiance of the change. As of the reporting period, the renaming applies only within U.S. federal systems and has not been recognized by Canada, whose portion of the lake retains its original name. The dispute remains unresolved internationally, with Canada continuing to use "Lake Ontario" and rejecting the U.S. designation. It is unclear whether additional U.S. governors beyond Hochul issued formal objections, though some reports referenced broader gubernatorial pushback, including mockery from Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, without providing further detail on the nature or scope of those responses.