Donald Trump has sparked another bizarre chapter in his growing feud with Canada after suggesting that Lake Ontario could be renamed "Lake America."
The president made the suggestion on Tuesday, August 25, as tensions between the United States and Canada continued to spiral over tariffs and trade negotiations.
Trump said the United States was giving "serious consideration" to changing the name of Lake Ontario, claiming that America does not expect to do much business with Ontario anymore.
The idea immediately attracted attention because Lake Ontario is not simply located within the United States. The massive Great Lake sits along the border between the U.S. and Canada, with Ontario on its northern shore and New York State to the south.
The United States and Canada also jointly manage the waterway through international agreements, meaning Trump could not simply dictate what the lake is called internationally. While the U.S. government can establish names for federal use, Canada and international organizations are not required to follow the change.
Trump's suggestion comes at a particularly tense moment between the two neighboring countries.
Trade negotiations recently broke down, with Canada preparing retaliatory measures against American products after the Trump administration imposed new tariffs on Canadian goods. Trump has also threatened a 50 percent tariff on Canadian cars, trucks and automotive parts beginning January 1, 2027.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to respond to the American measures, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford has also become increasingly vocal during the dispute.
The proposed name change is reminiscent of Trump's decision last year to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for U.S. federal purposes. That move also triggered an international debate over whether the new name would actually be recognized outside the United States.
Canada's minister responsible for U.S. trade, Dominic LeBlanc, appeared unwilling to give Trump's latest proposal much attention. He said Canadian officials had decided not to respond to the daily social media posts coming from Trump and members of his administration.
For now, Lake Ontario remains Lake Ontario in Canada and internationally.
But with the trade war becoming increasingly personal and political, Trump's unexpected proposal has added yet another unusual twist to the worsening relationship between the two longtime allies.