Trump Posts Map Rebranding Lake Ontario as “Lake America”
Trump shares an altered Great Lakes map crossing out Lake Ontario and labeling it Lake America, after signing an order to rename the shared waterway amid his trade war with Canada.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump posted an altered map of the Great Lakes that crosses out Lake Ontario and rebrands the shared waterway as “Lake America,” pressing a symbolic front in his trade war with Canada.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Toronto Lake America Lake Ontario star TEAM TRUMP New York” on August 28, 2026 at 11:50 AM ET.
This is Trump’s 12th message released today, and the last post was 23 minutes ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 37 of his 611 posts over the last 30 days classified as Uncategorized posts.
The graphic shows the label “Lake Ontario” struck through with a red X and replaced by “Lake America” in large gold lettering beside a U.S. flag. Toronto is marked to the west and New York to the south, with a line tracing the U.S.-Canada border across the water. A “TEAM TRUMP” logo sits at the bottom of the image.
The post follows an executive order Trump signed directing the Interior Department to update the lake’s name in the U.S. geographic naming service, according to pbs. Trump said he is renaming Lake Ontario to be known as “Lake America” in the United States as he escalates his trade war with Canada, according to pbs. He signed the order at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, with a large map of the Great Lakes propped behind him reading “Lake America” over Lake Ontario in red letters, according to pbs.
President Donald J. Trump posted a map rebranding Lake Ontario as “Lake America” on Truth Social on 08/28/2026.
© copyright Zenger.News
Trump cannot force Canada to follow his preferred naming convention, according to abc7. The move mirrors his decision last year to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” according to abc7. Trump can unilaterally change a geographic name for official U.S. federal government use, but he lacks the authority to dictate what other countries or international bodies call it, according to abcnews.
The order surfaced as the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods over the weekend after talks between the countries broke down, according to pbs. Canada responded this week by imposing retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of American goods, including steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment, according to pbs. Ontario is the single largest export destination for more than a dozen U.S. states, according to abc7.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move, invoking the lake’s Indigenous roots and noting that the name predates both Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence, according to pbs. “Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always,” Carney wrote, according to pbs. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston dismissed the move in a social media post, writing: “We’re into some real foolishness now. It’s Lake Ontario, buddy,” according to pbs.
Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes and forms much of New York State’s coastline, separating Buffalo from Toronto, Canada’s most populous city, according to abc7. The lake’s name comes from the Huron Indigenous people’s word “oniatarí:io,” which means “lake of shining waters,” and it predates European settlement in the region, according to abc7. The province of Ontario, founded in 1867, took its name from the lake, according to abc7. The executive order shows the changes must be made within 30 days, according to pbs.
NewsFindr Chart Maker
Photo by Zenger real-time database of all Truth Social posts.
Zenger analysis
Photo by Zenger analysis
Protomaps / Natural Earth – Canada
Photo by Protomaps / Natural Earth – Canada
Protomaps / Natural Earth – Mexico
Photo by Protomaps / Natural Earth – Mexico
Protomaps / Natural Earth – Toronto
Photo by Protomaps / Natural Earth – Toronto