Trump Jokes About Renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” as U.S.-Canada Trade Tensions Escalate
President Donald Trump has reignited tensions with Canada by jokingly renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” during a video posted to his TikTok account, as a growing trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa continues to strain relations.
In the video, Trump sits in the Oval Office holding a printed map of Lake Ontario, which borders both the United States and Canada.
“So this is Lake Ontario, in Canada and in the United States,” Trump says. “But we’re gonna make a little change.”
He then suggests calling the lake “Lake America,” saying that doing so requires “a good pen and some intelligence.” Trump proceeds to use a black marker to cross out “Lake Ontario” on the map and write “Lake America” in its place.
“Lake Ontario, that’s gone. Lake America,” he says, later comparing the move to his administration’s efforts to promote the name “Gulf of America.”
The video came amid escalating economic tensions between the United States and Canada. Trump had previously said the United States was seriously considering changing the lake’s name because Washington did not expect to conduct significant business with Ontario amid the worsening trade dispute.
The proposal quickly attracted attention in both countries. Canadian officials rejected the idea and indicated that the traditional name, Lake Ontario, would continue to be used in Canada.
Trump subsequently moved beyond the joke, signing an executive order directing the U.S. Department of the Interior to use “Lake America” for federal government purposes. The order, however, cannot compel Canadian authorities to adopt the designation.
The episode is the latest in a series of disputes between Trump and Canadian leaders during his second term. The president has repeatedly suggested that Canada could become the 51st U.S. state, a proposal that has been firmly rejected by Canadian political leaders.
Trade tensions have also intensified, with the United States imposing steep tariffs on Canadian goods and Ottawa threatening reciprocal measures.
The two countries have additionally clashed over wildfire smoke crossing the border, the Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, and other economic and diplomatic issues.
Together, the disputes have contributed to an unusually tense period in relations between the longtime North American allies, whose economies remain deeply interconnected.
