President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 27 renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America.”

The order requires U.S. federal agencies to use the new name on all official maps and contracts. Canada, which also borders the lake, is not obligated to adopt the new name.

“As I announced in Executive Order 14172 of January 20, 2025 (Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness), it is the policy of my Administration to recognize the extraordinary contributions of the American people and the rich heritage of our history by naming great natural landmarks for our shared achievements,” stated the order. “The United States is the greatest protector of the Great Lakes, including the body of water currently known as Lake Ontario. Without the security and investment provided by the United States, this freshwater system would not be open for shipping, recreation, and responsible use to the same extent as it is today.”

The order comes after trade talks between the United States and Canada ended on Aug. 21 with a 50 percent U.S. tariff on about $20 billion of Canadian goods. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he would implement dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs.

“The fact that this is even part of the conversation shows how absurd the Trump administration is,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “They should be focusing on ways to mend relationships with Canada so our farmers and our consumers and our families do not continue suffering from this inane war over tariffs.”

Trump previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in 2025. He has also attempted to change the name of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include his name, which was rejected by a federal judge.

“We have a gulf and we have a lake,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “Now all we need is an ocean. Maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”

Apple Maps has officially renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America across all devices. Trump has also posted several times on social media about the renaming, including an AI-generated video of him kicking down a Lake Ontario sign, replacing it with a Lake America sign and then doing a dance to the song “YMCA.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford answered Trump’s executive order with a sign on the edge of the lake that says “Lake Ontario Now and Always.”

“Well, as most Oswegonians when they heard that news, basically we were kind of shocked and surprised because this came out of left field,” said Oswego Mayor Robert Corradino. “We had no clue that this was going to be a part of the negotiations between Canada and the United States. So it really was a shock to our community.”

The original name, which traces to the Huron-Wendat word “ontarí’io” or the Iroquoian word “kanadario” or “skanadario,” predates the formation of the United States by at least 135 years.

“Personally, I still prefer calling it ‘Lake Ontario’ because the new name is uncreative,” wrote Comson Cao, the vice president of the BU College Republicans and a senior studying economics and business administration, in an email to Pipe Dream. “Now, that being said, the sudden outrage over geographical renaming is very rich coming from the same side that spent years treating a couple forts as moral emergencies that had to be renamed, or had entire school district boards which attempted to rename schools based on what I’m sure was rigorous and well thought out criteria (this is sarcasm in case it gets taken seriously).”

In 2025, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered Fort Liberty, a military base in North Carolina, to be renamed to its original title, Fort Bragg. The fort was originally named after Braxton Bragg, a Confederate soldier. Hegseth said that the new name was for Roland L. Bragg, a World War II veteran.

“I personally find the name change to be odd and theatrical,” said Nicholas Aparicio, the president of BU College Republicans and a senior studying philosophy, politics and law. “Lake Ontario has a name deeply tied to North American history, so this name change is just ridiculous. Increasingly, with the failures and broken promises racking up on President Trump’s watch, these stunts are infuriating and tone deaf.”