Trump threatens to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” and hours later says he “loves French Canadians”
Amid the collapse of trade negotiations between Canada and the United States, President Donald Trump wrote on his social media account, Truth Social, that his administration is “seriously” considering renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” because, he said, he no longer expects to “do much business with Ontario.” Hours later, when asked about reports that Washington had demanded restrictions on the use of French during the negotiations, the president categorically denied it and concluded by asserting that he “loves French Canadians.”
What exactly did Trump say about Lake Ontario?
In his post, Trump argued that if the US is no longer going to “do business” with the province of Ontario amid the trade war, the United States might as well consider renaming the lake they share. The statement came just days after negotiations collapsed and Washington maintained a 50% tariff on approximately $28 billion worth of Canadian goods.
Why did he come out and talk about the French language?
Reports circulated—confirmed by Carney himself and by Canadian radio stations—that among the last-minute conditions that caused the negotiations to collapse, the United States had demanded a reduction in French labeling requirements and cuts to funding for French-speaking Canadian culture. Trump categorically denied having made such a demand: “It would never occur to me to do something so stupid,” he wrote, and accused Carney of having fabricated the issue to gain political support in Quebec.
How did Canada respond?
The response came quickly and in two parts. Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly settled the issue of the lake’s name with a short sentence: “We’re always going to call it Lake Ontario, period.” Meanwhile, Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne insisted that the government keeps Canadians informed “daily” about the status of the negotiations, in response to criticism that the process has been too opaque.
Why isn’t this just an anecdote?
Statements like this—taken seriously by much of the Canadian press and promptly answered by two government ministers—serve as an informal barometer of how strained the relationship between the two countries is amidst the ongoing trade war. While the tone on social media oscillates between territorial threats and sudden praise for French Canadians, the impact on people’s wallets—tariffs, jobs, the price of dairy and appliances—remains firm and escalating for anyone living in Canada, regardless of the language they speak.
Writing by Mauricio Navas Talero LJI Reporter