President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is giving “serious consideration” to renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America,” extending his push to place American names on prominent geographic features.
Trump posted an altered map of the lake and surrounding region on social media showing the words “Lake Ontario” crossed out and replaced with “Lake America” in larger gold lettering alongside an American flag.
The proposal follows Trump’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America for U.S. federal government purposes.
Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes, is divided between the United States and Canada, with New York bordering the lake to the south and east and the Canadian province of Ontario to the north and west. The two countries cooperate on management of the lake through agreements and institutions including the International Joint Commission and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
A president can direct federal agencies to use a new geographic name within the U.S. government, as Trump did with the Gulf of America. Such an order would not require Canada or international organizations to adopt the new name, explained The Wall Street Journal.
Trump separately disputed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s assertion that the United States had threatened the status of the French language during recent trade negotiations.
“I have never even thought of doing such a stupid thing. This lie was made up by a weak and ineffective Prime Minister in an attempt to gain political support, which he has totally lost, from the people of Quebec. I love French Canadians!” Trump wrote.
Carney said Saturday that concerns involving the French language and Canadian culture contributed to the breakdown of negotiations between the two countries.
“This was not our choice. We were ready and close to having a comprehensive agreement that would be fair to both countries. But they made changes, including threats on the French language and Quebec culture and Canadian culture. That is not acceptable. That would never be acceptable,” Carney said.
The dispute comes as trade tensions between the United States and Canada continue to intensify.
