Trump signed the document in the White House. Behind the president was a map that already indicated Lake America instead of Lake Ontario. According to the decree, American agencies have 30 days to make the necessary changes, [reports](https://nos.nl/artikel/2628585-trump-hernoemt-lake-ontario-naar-lake-america-nu-nog-een-oceaan) NOS. The decision comes amid another escalation of relations between the U.S. and Canada. Recently, Washington imposed a 50% tariff on Canadian goods worth about $20 billion. Ottawa responded with similar measures against American products. During the signing of the decree, Trump stated that Canada has "been cheating the U.S. for a long time" on trade and defense issues. At the same time, the American president emphasized that he has a good opinion of Canadians. "We love the people of Canada. I just don’t think their representatives are doing a good job. Maybe they will change. I really don’t know. It’s not that important," Trump said. ### In Canada, the New Name Was Rejected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that for his country, the lake will retain its original name. "Canadians know that things should be called by their names: Lake Ontario — then, now, and always," Carney wrote. A similar position was taken by Ontario Premier Doug Ford. According to him, for Canadians and the rest of the world, it was and will remain Lake Ontario. Notably, New York Governor Kathy Hochul also refused to recognize the new name. The state directly borders the lake. "New York is not going to call it that," Hochul stated. ### "Now We Need an Ocean" Lake Ontario is part of the Great Lakes system and is located on the border of the U.S. and Canada. Since the body of water belongs to two countries, Washington's decision does not automatically change its name in Canada or on international maps. However, the U.S. administration has the right to determine which geographical names are used by American federal agencies. Trump also recalled his previous decision to use the name **Gulf of America** instead of the Gulf of Mexico. According to the president, he is not planning to stop there. > "If you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake. The only thing we’re missing now is an ocean," Trump said. He suggested that someday the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean might be next: "Maybe we’ll rename them too. Maybe we will."
