Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday morning proposed renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" as trade disputes between the U.S. and Canada intensified. Trump also accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of fabricating claims that the U.S. had sought concessions affecting French-language protections during recent trade negotiations.
"The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to [sic] doing much business with Ontario any longer," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Trump directly addressed Carney, stating, "I would never interfere with Canadians speaking French!" He characterized Carney's statements as a lie made to gain political support, particularly from Quebec, adding, "I love French Canadians!"
These remarks mark the latest escalation in a deepening dispute that saw trade negotiations collapse late last week, leading to new tariffs and threats of retaliation.
Carney had stated on Saturday that issues regarding French-language protections were "never on the table" for Canada and were fundamental rights, not trade irritants, as perceived by the U.S. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer disputed this, calling the French-language dispute a "funny, fake story" and asserting the U.S. objection pertained to requirements affecting American streaming companies.
Lake Ontario is shared by the Canadian province of Ontario and New York. Trump has previously used geographic designations for political points, including ordering the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the Gulf of America.
Vice President JD Vance, speaking Monday in Brewer, Maine, defended the administration's stance, accusing Ottawa of treating Chinese goods more favorably than products from Maine. "They treat Chinese goods more fairly than they do the goods that come from the people of Maine: It’s insanity," Vance said. "And what we’ve said to Canada is stop it."
Vance also indicated that while negotiations appeared close to an agreement, Canadian officials brought unreasonable demands to the table at the last minute. He expressed hope for a future deal, stating, "I think that we should have a deal. We expect fairness in our trade policy."
Trump also announced Monday that 50% tariffs on Canadian automobiles, auto parts, trucks, and steel would take effect on January 1, 2027, citing years of unfair treatment of American producers by Canada.