Donald Trump is no longer content with a gulf.
On Thursday, August 27, in the Oval Office, he signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario —which the United States shares with Canada—as “Lake America”. It was just an appetizer: minutes later, with the signature still fresh, he uttered the phrase that set off alarm bells. “Now all we’re missing is an ocean. Perhaps we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Perhaps we’ll change both”, he said, without anyone asking him directly.
This isn’t the first time. In January 2025, on the same day he took office for his second term, he had already turned the Gulf of Mexico into “Gulf of America”. Now he repeats the formula just as his trade tensions with Canada escalate, a country he threatened to raise tariffs on to 50% starting in 2027.
The orders only change U.S. maps and official documents, not the actual name recognized internationally. But the underlying message —imposing his brand on shared geographies— is what has half the continent wondering what comes next.