Trump floats renaming Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’ as feud with Canada escalates

By Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday escalated his feud with Canadian leaders, suggesting the United States is considering renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” as tensions between the two countries rise amid an ongoing trade war.

“The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to doing much business with Ontario any longer. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

In a subsequent post, the president posted an image of a map with “Lake Ontario” crossed out and the words “Lake America” — spelled out in gold lettering — with an American flag.

Minister for Canada-US Trade Dominic LeBlanc declined to comment on Trump’s first post, telling CNBC, “We’ve decided as a federal government months ago not to respond to sort of the daily social media posts of either the president or his Cabinet secretaries.”

“We’re focused on doing what we can in Canada to build our economy and to having a constructive relationship with the government of the United States — our most important trading partner,” LeBlanc added.

Lake Ontario is the smallest of the five Great Lakes by surface area, separating the state of New York from Ontario, Canada.

Trump’s “Lake America” jab comes a day after he warned Canada of “far WORSE” consequences if its leaders do not “fall in line,” following the collapse of trade talks between the two countries. It’s also not the first time the US president has tried to rename a body of water by adding “America,” having previously signed an order trying to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico.

Trump ramped up the insults later Tuesday morning, declaring Canada “entitled” and “unreasonable” in another Truth Social post, a sign the escalating trade war isn’t waning.

“I deal with many countries, and Canada is easily the most difficult and unreasonable,” he wrote. “They feel entitled, but they are not a State, and will be entitled no longer!”

He said Canada had been “ripping off” the US for decades, and claimed Canadian trade practices have “driven many wonderful U.S. companies out of business.” He cited trade barriers on Gulfstream jets, though the Gulfstream company has not gone out of business.

Trump has repeatedly criticized Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, accusing Canada of taking advantage of the US for decades.

“Lots of ‘bluster’ from Doug Ford, who is the Premier of the Canadian Province of Ontario, but who is better known as the less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford,” Trump wrote Monday.

“Someone should get these clowns to ‘fall in line’ or, the consequences for Canada will be far WORSE!” Trump added.

The dispute comes as Trump threatened on Monday to increase tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks, automotive parts and steel to 50% beginning January 1, 2027. Canada has vowed to respond with “dollar-for-dollar” tariffs beginning September 8.

Trump previously tried to rename a different body of water bordering the United States.

On his first day in office in his second term, Trump signed an executive order calling for the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the “Gulf of America.” US government agencies and the Coast Guard have since adopted the name, while other countries have not recognized the change.

The White House also turned the issue into a dispute with The Associated Press after the news organization continued referring to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico. A federal judge eventually ruled against the White House saying its decision to punish the AP by restricting it from Trump’s events was “unconstitutional.”

In May 2025, the House passed a Republican-led bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.