US President Donald Trump has proposed renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America”, adding to tensions between the United States and Canada. Trump shared a video showing himself using a marker to cross out the name “Lake Ontario” on a map and write “Lake America” instead.

“So, this is Lake Ontario in Canada and in the United States. But we’re going to make a little change. We’re going to call it Lake America. And all it takes is a good pen and some intelligence. So, Lake Ontario, that’s gone. Lake America," Trump says in the video.

Trump had earlier raised the proposal on Truth Social. He said the United States was giving “serious consideration" to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America. He linked the idea to the worsening trade relationship between the two countries. Trump argued that Washington did not expect to do much business with Ontario any longer.

Lake Ontario is one of North America’s five Great Lakes. It sits between the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York. The lake is shared by both countries, making the proposed name change more sensitive than a domestic renaming decision.

Trump’s suggestion comes as Washington and Ottawa remain involved in an extended trade dispute. His administration has imposed tariffs on Canadian goods. Canada has also been preparing retaliatory measures in response to US trade actions.

The proposal has added a new point of tension to an already strained relationship. Trump has repeatedly used naming changes as part of his political messaging. His latest suggestion for Lake Ontario follows his earlier push to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”.

The Lake Ontario proposal differs from the Gulf of Mexico move in one major way. Lake Ontario directly borders both the United States and Canada. Any attempt to change its name would therefore involve a geographic feature shared by the two countries.

The proposal has faced criticism and disapproval in Canada. Many Canadians have rejected the idea as another example of Trump’s approach to the country.

Trump’s comments come at a time when the United States and Canada are dealing with disputes over tariffs and trade. The two countries share one of the world’s longest international borders and have strong economic ties. The latest naming proposal has added an unusual cultural and political dimension to their ongoing disagreements.

For now, Trump has described the renaming as a proposal and has not announced any formal change to the lake’s name. Lake Ontario continues to be officially known by its current name. The debate over “Lake America” has nevertheless become part of the wider dispute between the United States and Canada.