“Controversy Erupts Over Trump’s ‘Lake America’ Request”

President Donald Trump has reportedly requested Apple to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America” on its maps, causing controversy in Canada amidst ongoing trade tensions. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum revealed that Trump directly contacted Apple regarding the name change, hinting that the alteration could be imminent. The executive order signed by Trump to change the lake’s name comes following the breakdown of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations and the imposition of significant tariffs by the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney opposed the renaming, asserting that Lake Ontario, situated between Ontario and New York state, will remain known as Lake Ontario “now and always.” Google Maps has reflected the name change as per the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), showing “Lake America” for U.S. users while Canadian users continue to see Lake Ontario on the platform. Despite the confusion caused by the name change, some affected websites in Ontario have reverted to displaying the original name, Lake Ontario. Apple is yet to respond to inquiries about Trump’s alleged request and any potential plans to update the name on Apple Maps. Trump had previously issued a similar order in 2025 renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, impacting U.S. federal documents and geographic services. Apple Maps currently indicates the area as “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).”