House Democrats move to undo Trump’s "Lake America" order

House Democrats are seeking to reverse US President Donald Trump’s decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America,” escalating a political dispute over one of the five Great Lakes amid worsening US-Canada trade tensions, Fox5 reports.

Following an executive order signed by Trump, the US Department of the Interior will refer to Lake Ontario as Lake America. Democratic lawmakers are now pursuing legislation to preserve the lake’s traditional name.

Representative Debbie Dingell, who represents Michigan’s 6th Congressional District, announced on social media that she was introducing legislation to keep the name Lake Ontario and block Trump’s order.

“The Great Lakes are a shared treasure that generations of Americans and Canadians have worked together to protect,” Dingell wrote. “That’s why I’m introducing legislation to keep Lake Ontario as Lake Ontario and block President Trump’s idiotic order.”

The renaming of one of the five Great Lakes comes as tensions between Washington and Ottawa intensify, with a trade war between the neighboring countries resuming in August.

A Trump administration aide defended the decision, saying, “This is a lake that has most of its volume in the United States. The deepest parts of the lake sit in United States territory, so this reflects this is an American lake.”

The dispute over the lake’s name comes against the backdrop of escalating trade tensions. The Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on Canadian goods over the weekend following the collapse of trade negotiations.

Trump further intensified the confrontation on August 24, telling Canadian leaders to “fall in line” or face consequences “far WORSE” than the existing tariffs. He also threatened to impose an additional 50% tariff on Canadian vehicles, auto parts and steel.

Canada responded on August 25 by announcing retaliatory tariffs on US goods.

By Vafa Guliyeva