President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America," then joked that the Atlantic and Pacific oceans could be next. "As you know, we took something called the Gulf of Mexico, we changed it, and now it's very routinely the Gulf of America," Trump said. "So if you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake.
Now all we need is an ocean," he continued. "So maybe we'll have to change the name of the Atlantic and or the Pacific. Maybe we'll change them both." VANCE SAYS CANADA FRIENDLIER TO CHINA ON TRADE THAN TO US: 'INSANITY' Trump declared the Lake Ontario change "official, effective immediately" while announcing the order.
"And finally, it's the purpose of this more than anything else is we're going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario, effective immediately to Lake America," Trump said. "That's going to take place right now as I signed the order." ‘CAPTAIN CANADA’ FIREBRAND UNLOADS ON TRUMP WITH PROFANE ONE-LINER AS TRADE WAR ESCALATES The president said the administration had "filed all the necessary papers, documents, everything else" and notified the relevant parties. "So we've done everything that you have to do.
And this is official, effective immediately," Trump said. CANADA REPORTEDLY SCRAPS JOINT BRIDGE CELEBRATION WITH US AFTER TRUMP RENEWS TARIFF THREAT The order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, working with the Board on Geographic Names, to take steps within 30 days to rename the lake in the federal Geographic Names Information System and remove references to "Lake Ontario." It also directs the board to ensure federal maps, contracts, documents and agency communications use the new name. TRUMP BLAMES CANADA FOR WILDFIRE SMOKE, SAYS POLLUTION COSTS SHOULD BE ADDED TO TARIFFS The order does not control the name used by Canada, which borders the lake along with New York.
It is not Trump’s first effort to put an American stamp on a major body of water. On his first day back in office, Trump signed Executive Order 14172, "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness," directing the federal government to use "Gulf of America" in place of the Gulf of Mexico. TRUMP JUST EXPANDED HIS TARIFF PLAYBOOK WITH A POWERFUL TRADE WEAPON NO PRESIDENT HAS EVER USED Trump later signed a proclamation declaring Feb. 9, 2025, the first "Gulf of America Day" while aboard Air Force One over the newly renamed gulf en route to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
"Today, I am very honored to recognize February 9, 2025, as the first ever Gulf of America Day," Trump wrote in the proclamation. CHAD WOLF: CANADA CAN'T EXPECT FREE TRADE WHILE LEAVING OUR NORTHERN BORDER VULNERABLE Burgum said at the time that the Interior Department had implemented Trump’s instruction from the executive order. The Lake America order invokes that same policy, arguing that the United States is the "greatest protector" of the Great Lakes system.
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