Trump Renames Lake Ontario as Lake America, Says Canada Is Ripping Off the US
Bloomberg Television
40,613 views • 17 days ago 4 min read
Video Summary
In a move that renames a major Great Lake, the president has officially declared Lake Ontario to be "Lake America," effective immediately. This executive order directs the Department of the Interior to update the Geographic Names Information Service to reflect the change. The president cited the lake's location, with most of its volume and deepest parts within the United States, as justification for this renaming. He also drew a parallel to the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America," suggesting a broader pattern of asserting American identity on geographic features.
Beyond the lake's new name, the president also announced impending tariffs on Canadian cars, stating that Canada has been "ripping us off for a long time on trade." He criticized trade imbalances and the cost of defending Canada, asserting that the U.S. cannot continue to bear these burdens. The president expressed a desire for Canada to "make their own cars" for their own market, rather than for the United States, signaling a significant shift in trade policy.
Short Highlights
- Lake Ontario has been officially renamed "Lake America" via executive order.
- The decision is justified by the lake's volume and deepest parts being within the United States.
- The president compared this to the previous renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America."
- Tariffs are planned for Canadian cars entering the United States.
Key Details
Lake Ontario Renamed Lake America [0:02]
- An executive order has been signed to change the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America."
- The change is effective immediately.
"We're going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario, effective immediately to Lake America."
Justification for Renaming [0:17]
- The order directs Secretary Burgum and the Department of the Interior to update the Geographic Names Information Service.
- The lake will now be known as Lake America, reflecting that most of its volume and deepest parts are in the United States.
"This is a lake that has most of its volume in the United States. The deepest parts of the lake sit in the United States territory. So this will reflect that this is an American lake."
Broader Naming Trend [0:43]
- The president mentioned a previous renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America."
- He suggested that the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans might also be renamed.
"As you know, we took something called the Gulf of Mexico. We changed it. And now it's very routinely the Gulf of America. So if you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake. Now all we need is an ocean. So maybe we'll have to change the name of the Atlantic and or the Pacific."
Trade Grievances with Canada [0:48]
- The president stated that Canada has been "ripping us off for a long time on trade."
- He also mentioned that the U.S. defends Canada militarily without compensation.
"As you know, Canada's been ripping us off for a long time on trade, very sadly. Even the military. You know, we defend Canada for nothing. We don't get anything."
Icebreaker Dispute [1:01]
- Canada has expressed interest in using U.S. icebreakers.
- The U.S. is acquiring 11 new icebreakers.
"As an example, we bought icebreakers. They'd like to use them. And we have 11 brand new icebreakers coming in. They'd like to use the icebreakers."
Trade Deficit and Cost [1:12]
- The U.S. loses an average of $60 billion per year due to trade with Canada over the last 15 years.
- The president indicated that this situation cannot continue.
"We lose, on average, over the last 15 years, $60 billion a year carrying Canada. So we just can't do it anymore."
Criticism of Canadian Representatives [1:21]
- The president expressed that he does not believe Canada's representatives are doing an appropriate job.
- He suggested that their representatives might change.
"I don't think their representatives do an appropriate job. Maybe they'll change. I really don't know."
Imposition of Tariffs [1:27]
- Tariffs will be imposed on Canadian cars entering the U.S. at a substantial level.
- The goal is to encourage car manufacturing within the United States.
"So we're going to be doing tariffs on their cars that are coming in at a substantial level. Because we want to make the cars here."
