Overview
- President Trump signed the executive order on Thursday directing federal agencies to use the name “Lake America” and telling Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to update the Geographic Names Information System within 30 days.
- Canadian leaders, New York officials, and Indigenous authorities rejected the change and said they will continue to call the body of water Lake Ontario.
- The order affects only U.S. federal usage and federal maps and cannot compel Canada, international bodies, or most private mapmakers to adopt the new name.
- The renaming is part of a broader U.S.-Canada dispute after trade talks collapsed and the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion of Canadian goods, with Canada announcing retaliatory duties set to begin in early September.
- The move drew widespread online mockery, revived comparisons to the 2025 ‘Gulf of America’ order that saw limited international uptake, and risks further fraying ties while the tariff conflict continues to produce concrete economic effects for businesses and consumers.