Donald Trump has renamed Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’ amid rising trade tensions with Canada. The decision follows a series of tariff disputes between the U.S. and Canada.
On Sunday, the White House shared an image on its verified account, originating from Trump’s Truth Social account, showing New Mexico renamed as ‘New America.’ This post did not specify if it represented a genuine policy change.
Trump’s executive order instructs the Interior Secretary, Doug Burgum, to update the Geographic Names Information System to reflect the lake’s new name. Tech giants like Google and Apple have already updated their maps to show the change for U.S. users.
Polls indicate that most Americans do not support renaming Lake Ontario. This action is not the first of its kind, as Trump also signed an order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America’ during his second term.
Unlike lakes, a president cannot rename a U.S. state through executive order. The name ‘New Mexico’ has historical roots, dating back to Spanish explorers in the late 1500s. The name continued when the territory joined the U.S. in 1848 and became a state in 1912.
The White House and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham have not commented on these developments.