Trump threatens to rename Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’ as Canada trade war escalates

NY Post ^ | 8/25/26 | Ryan King

[Libloather]

President Trump floated the possibility of rebranding Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” in a shot across the bow against Canada’s most populous province — whose premier threatened to cut off electricity and minerals to the US.

“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,” Trump declared on Truth Social Tuesday.

On his very first day back in the Oval Office last year, Trump signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, a move he frequently boasted about during his first year.

His musing about giving Lake Ontario, which borders upstate New York, the same treatment comes amid a bruising tariff battle with America’s northern neighbor.

Last week, talks broke down between the two sides.

That prompted Trump to impose a steep 50% tariff on a range of Canadian goods — including beer, cheese, electronics, and more.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to retaliate in kind, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has long been a hardliner on trade, teased plans to make the US feel economic pain.

Ford vowed to the Associated Press that “everything is on the table” if the trade spat worsens, including cutting off electricity and critical minerals from Ontario.

“We power 1.5 million homes and businesses,” the premier said. “Everything’s on the table. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

[Lowell1775]

Why not “Make America Great Again” Lakes.....

We already got Michigan anyway, sell the naming rights for the rest.....I can see Lake Tesla, or Lake General Motors.....require an annual payment....be good for the map makers too when they had to change names like stadium rights every few years.

We could apply that to all natural features to help retire the debt!

Wait! WAIT!

Sell the naming rights ....or just let the people vote by like/dislike points for renaming OTHER COUNTRIES!

Which would be Smellybeavaria, A$$holand? Ugleebitchum? Tacolo, etc....

[lastchance]

Is that where you think the Great Lake’s name came from? The province? Try again.

[Kleon]

The only reason I would say this is a bad idea is that it doesn’t affect Canada at all and it would cost money to update our databases. Estimates for the cost to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America are around $500,000. It would still be funny to see, though, and woke Rochester, NY would be forced to call it Lake America.

[lastchance]

They don’t spend a dime on their national defense? Why do people here right things which can be so easily debunked?

[cmj328]

“If you ask the average Canadian, a very common misconception is that Lake Ontario was named after the province of Ontario.” -AI

[jroehl]

Thumbs up!

[Wallace T.]

It is unusual that Canada is more provincial rights oriented than we are states rights oriented. When the Canadian confederation was organized in 1867, it was in the shadow of the U.S. Civil War. The Canadian politicians favored a strong central government to prevent what had happened to their south. Most provinces are policed by the RCMP and not a provincial police force. Provincial premiers do not have an equivalent to the National Guard to deal with riots and natural disasters. Income taxes for the provinces are collected by the Canadian Federal government, except for Quebec. Criminal and civil law is uniform, unlike in our country, where state laws prevail and guide the courts unless superseded by Federal law. The Canadians were at that point not fully self governing with respect to foreign affairs; Canada remained part of the British Empire. Ottawa gradually gained independent control of foreign policy in a process that lasted over a century. Since 1776, America has had a clean break from the British Empire, ratified by the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Lee's surrender at Appomattox ended the concept of state secession. In the 20th Century, a series of Constitutional amendments, court decisions, and Congressional legislation greatly weakened the states' ability to have internal independence. Yet the states maintain their own courts, taxation authority, police, military (unless nationalized by the President), legal codes, and tax systems. The Canadian provinces lack these elements. If Alberta were somehow able to break away from Ottawa and became either an independent country or an American state, their leaders would have to start from scratch to build parallel institutions.

[central_va]

Lake MAGA. I like.

[Bon of Babble]

Here's another gift to Canada from President Trump:

Haitians Self-Deporting to Canada After Trump Ends ‘Temporary’ Amnesty

"Haitians are increasingly moving to Canada following the U.S. Supreme Court's June 2026 decision allowing the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Haitian nationals."

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/24/cnn-haitians-self-deporting-to-canada-after-trump-ends-temporary-amnesty/

[central_va]

Lee’s surrender at Appomattox ended the concept of state secession

It did no such thing.

[unread]

My Dad once told me, “When you’re negotiating with the car dealer, the first thing you do is kick him in the shin.” :)

[misterdarcey]

What we need here is a face palm emoji...

[voicereason]

Been here long huh? What was your retread name?

Why be an @$$ about it? The opinion raised was a valid one, and I have a tendency to agree with it. I've been on here since 1999 (before you). Should that give my opinion any greater standing?

No wonder the site is withering away.

[Kudsman]

Read back please. Tbe crybaby was trying to say he was attacked personally. I asked him if he was going to be okay. If that is a personal attack then I agree, this place has gone soft.

[libertylover]

Why does he insist on picking stupid fights like this?...there are plenty of more important things to ACCOMPLISH...not talk about.

I know. Overall, I LOVE the job President Trump has done, but there are two issues where I think he's done a poor job. One is this relationship with Canada, and the other is the way he's gone about trying to acquire Greenland. (It may be important to acquire Greenland, but I don't like the way he's gone about it.)

[Dr. Sivana]

If Alberta were somehow able to break away from Ottawa and became either an independent country or an American state, their leaders would have to start from scratch to build parallel institutions.

Thank you for correcting my misunderstanding of the Canadian tax situation

Secession being an open question in Canada is a big thing.

Most of the Crown Land in Alberta and Saskatchewan is Provincial Controlled, not central government controlled. That is a big deal.

[Wallace T.]

Lee's surrender at Appomattox did not end the concept of state secession, as you point out. However, the end of the South's attempt at independence greatly discouraged any future attempts of leaving the Union. The end of Reconstruction was a concession to the Southern states to allow them to run their states free from Federal military occupation in exchange for their loyalty to the Union. Only 12 years after the end of fighting, both Yankees and Rebels were exhausted, and the Northern public was tired of the low level guerrilla warfare where the Army was used to protect the freedmen and suppress the former Confederates. The GOP leadership was at this point more interested in conquering the West and industrialization than in the former slaves.

The decades after the end of Reconstruction resulted in the aggrandizement of Federal power, under both Republicans like Theodore Roosevelt and Democrats like Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt. The states lacked the power to effectively resist Federal authority. The civil rights movement of the 1950s through the 1970s was effectively a second Reconstruction. Several governors like Orval Faubus and George Wallace opposed integration, but backed down under the weight of Federal military power.

[MomentsofSanity]

Do you know what ad hominem is? Are you familiar with that term?

You didn’t address anything I said. You didn’t refute it, you didn’t show where it might have been wrong. You instead feel it necessary to comment to me on a personal level.

I notice nothing you have said in this thread in response to anyone has had anything to do with what they’ve said. All you seem to be able to do is troll people by going at them personally.

But hey, troll on.

[Kudsman]

Additionally, if you will note it’s sign up date is July 7th, 2026. How does someone that just joined 5 minutes ago know that “this place has gone downhill”?

[yantis]

That list looks to me like Canadians putting Canada first….

I’m sure the irony is lost on you, however!