Breaking: Trump Signs ‘Lake America’ Executive Order ‘Effective Immediately’

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America amid a tariff dispute with Canada that has escalated over the past several days.

“We’re going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario, effective immediately, to Lake America,” Trump told reporters inside the Oval Office. “That’s going to take place right now as I sign the order.”

The order will direct Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to update the Geographic Names Information System and certify the change within 30 days.

“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 d achievements,” the decree read.

“The United States is the greatest protector of the Great Lakes, including the body of water currently known as Lake Ontario,” it continued. “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 United States Coast Guard supplies 9 of the 11 ice breaking vessels on the Great Lakes, securing commercial shipping lanes free of charge.”

🚨 BREAKING: @POTUS signs an Executive Order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America.

Here is the text of the Order:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1. Purpose and Policy.… pic.twitter.com/ggfLXiD0g7

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 27, 2026

The order cited American investments of almost $4 billion to protect the “Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem in the last decade, while Canada has invested far less in similar initiatives over the same period.”

“The body of water currently known as Lake Ontario is a tremendous asset to the United States and part of our Nation’s heritage,” the order declared. “With the deepest parts of the Lake’s waters lying within United States territory, the United States claims most of the Lake’s volume. The Lake has long been an integral asset to American exploration, settlement, commerce, and defense.”

The commander in chief highlighted the lake’s historical significance from the War of 1812, along with other industrial cargo operations that “linked the interior of the United States to eastern markets and the Atlantic.”

The order mentioned how the lake supports “hundreds of thousands of American jobs and billions of dollars in annual economic output, cargo value, and related business revenue, with our ports, carriers, and States deriving a significant of the system’s benefits in iron ore, limestone, coal, agricultural products, and other bulk commodities.”

Trump’s action comes just days after he targeted Canada on social media, accusing America’s neighbor of profiting from unfair trade deals, before promising punitive tariffs to help even things out.

He also wrote on that “The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to be doing much business with Ontario any longer.”

Trump, who’s known for valuing symbolism, has already changed the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, and changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Thursday’s executive order came only one day after Canada announced retaliatory tariffs that match America’s dollar for dollar, while also raising rates on steel products.

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