Trump Renames Lake Ontario Amid Tariff Dispute with Canada

U.S. President Donald Trump is intensifying his tariff dispute with Canada through a new executive order. This order renames Lake Ontario, located between New York and Canada, to ‘Lake America.’

The order, signed on Thursday, instructs the federal government to implement this name change immediately. However, the order includes specific administrative steps that must be completed first.

Previously, Trump took a similar measure by renaming the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America.’ During the Oval Office signing, he remarked, “We have a gulf, and we have a lake, now all we need is an ocean.”

Trump attributed the renaming to difficulties in trade negotiations with Canada. He stated, “We deal with a lot of people, and people often ask me, ‘Who’s the worst to deal with on trade?’ I said, ‘That’s easy, Canada. They are the worst to trade with, and they feel entitled, and we can’t have that.'”

This development follows a breakdown in trade talks, with Trump announcing a 50% tariff on certain Canadian goods, further escalating tensions with a longstanding ally. In response, Canada imposed counter-tariffs.

These trade barriers are expected to increase costs for American consumers, especially as the country also faces economic challenges due to issues with Iran.

The move has prompted criticism from some Republicans, including Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who is in a challenging reelection campaign. Earlier in the week, she described the Canadian tariffs as a mistake.