Trump renamed Lake Ontario to 'Lake America.' We've investigated these 4 claims

On Aug. 27, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order renaming Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes, to "Lake America" in federal documents. Trump renamed the lake during his trade war with Canada. Rumors began circulating about Trump's desire to rename Lake Ontario a few days prior to the executive order. After he made the order, people questioned Lake Ontario's name history, Canada's reaction and what else Trump may do in an attempt to get a rise out of Canada. Here's a look at the claims we've investigated in the short time since Trump started considering renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America": Sources Price, Michelle L, and Will Weissert. "Trump Signs Order Renaming Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' in the US." AP News, 27 Aug. 2026, https://apnews.com/article/lake-ontario-canada-america-trump-trade-war-3ac58dca0ca83c15605d4dbff146b28a. Accessed 3 Sept. 2026. By Emery Winter Emery Winter is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and previously worked for TEGNA'S VERIFY national fact-checking team. They enjoy sports and video games. Article Tags