Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America amid Canada trade war – US politics live
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Trump Signs Order to Rename Lake Ontario as Lake America
Wanderstayfinder.com – In a staged Oval Office ceremony, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of the Interior to change the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” The announcement landed within hours of a complete breakdown in trade negotiations with Canada, and the president framed the renaming as a long-held personal conviction rather than a retaliatory gesture. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” he told reporters gathered in the room.
“Canada treats us very badly. People oftentimes will ask me who’s the worst to deal with on trade, and I said that’s easy. Canada. They are the worst, and they feel entitled, and just we can’t have that.”
The tariff war that prompted the spectacle had already escalated sharply. A 50 percent duty on a basket of Canadian imports took effect on Saturday, and Trump warned that a second tranche of 50 percent duties targeting steel, trucks, automobiles, and auto parts would follow at the start of the new year. Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by imposing 25-to-50 percent tariffs on hundreds of American goods, deepening what both capitals now describe as a full-blown trade confrontation.
This is not the president’s first aquatic rebrand. Early in his second term he issued a separate executive order changing the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” At Saturday’s signing, he joked that the list might continue: “We have a Gulf and we have a Lake – now all we need is an ocean. Maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”
Censure Fight Over Chuck Edwards Dominates Congressional Agenda
On the congressional side, North Carolina Republican Chuck Edwards is preparing to face a censure vote after the House ethics committee recommended the measure on the grounds that he engaged in inappropriate conduct toward two young female staffers. The committee’s report, released earlier this month, cited lavish gifts, affectionate notes, and invitations to what it described as “intimate dinners and vacations.”
In a letter dated earlier this week, Edwards pushed back forcefully, arguing the committee overreached by equating his behavior with sexual harassment. “An affectionate friendship is not a sexual proposition. A gift is not sexual misconduct. A compliment is not sexual misconduct. Poetry is not sexual misconduct. Socializing with a colleague is not sexual misconduct. Caring deeply about someone with whom you have worked and come to know for years is not sexual misconduct,” he wrote. Following the committee’s findings, Edwards dropped his reelection bid earlier this month, and North Carolina Republicans tapped state House member Jennifer Balkcom as their replacement nominee for the general election.
Moscow Visit and NATO Assurances
Trump also told reporters he has had “good talks” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and insisted that “he’s not going to be attacking a NATO territory.” The assurance came amid speculation about a covert trip to Moscow this week by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, whom reports say was dispatched expressly to persuade Putin to refrain from military action against NATO allies.
Separately, documents obtained by The New York Times indicate the administration is moving to radically accelerate the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Haitians who had been residing in the United States under a humanitarian parole program, a shift that would upend the terms under which many arrived.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly does the executive order do?
The order directs the Department of the Interior to replace the name “Lake Ontario” with “Lake America” on federal maps, charts, and official publications. It does not alter the lake’s physical boundaries or affect Canadian jurisdiction over the waterway.
Why did Trump choose this moment to announce the renaming?
The signing followed the collapse of weekend trade talks with Canada and the immediate imposition of 50 percent tariffs. While Trump said the idea had been on his mind for a long time, the timing underscored his framing of the Canada relationship as adversarial.
Is this the first time a U.S. president has renamed a major body of water?
No. Earlier in his second term, Trump issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.” The Lake America order extends that pattern to a second major waterway.
What is happening with Chuck Edwards?
The House ethics committee recommended censure after finding Edwards engaged in conduct it deemed inappropriate toward two staffers. Edwards has publicly rejected the characterization, abandoned his reelection campaign, and urged colleagues to vote down the censure measure.
