President Donald Trump, seen in an Aug. 27 photo with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, displays an executive order he signed that day, changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America. (Jim Watson – AFP / Getty Images)
By Randy DeSoto September 9, 2026 at 4:06pm
The Associated Press has advised its reporters and other outlets following AP style not to recognize President Donald Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake of America.
Trump made the name-change announcement Aug. 27 after trade talks between the U.S. and Canada stalled.
The AP said the president’s executive order only applies to how U.S. government agencies refer to the body of water, The Washington Post reported.
“The Associated Press will refer to Lake Ontario by its original name, including the name Trump has chosen when relevant,” a statement by AP spokesman Patrick Maks said.
“As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are recognizable to broad audiences,” he added.
President Donald Trump said Thursday he is renaming Lake Ontario to be known as “Lake America” in the United States as he escalates his trade war with Canada. The Republican president signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to update the lake’s name in the… pic.twitter.com/Pbj34YdIIQ
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 27, 2026
Do you think the AP would choose to fight this battle if Barack Obama had made the name change?
Similarly, last year, the AP refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America after Trump changed its name via executive order.
In contrast to the AP, Apple Maps is now labeling Lake Ontario as Lake America.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Trump “reached out to Apple directly” regarding the change, the Associated Press reported.
President Trump’s push to rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ is now showing up on millions of more phones.
The switch appears for Apple Maps users after Trump personally asked the company last week to update the name, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Google made the… pic.twitter.com/dEQV79Ky5v
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 2, 2026
Meanwhile, Google switched to Lake America almost immediately.
Google said it follows the U.S. Geographic Names Information System when official American sources change a name.
However, Google users in Canada will still see the name Lake Ontario.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Lake Ontario is renamed to LAKE AMERICA! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ZFww8PexiW
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 27, 2026
Trump appeared to be in full-troll mode over the weekend when he floated the idea of renaming New Mexico to New America.
The Hill reported that Trump’s original post on the subject came on Sunday after an online hoax spread saying he had signed an executive order changing the name of New Mexico.
“Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico, one of the great vote cheating states of all time, to NEW AMERICA. So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!” the president posted on Truth Social.
On Monday, he shared several maps showing the change.
👀
President Trump just posted this on Truth Social pic.twitter.com/DqCmhgGuKg— Commentary Trump Daily Posts (@TrumpDailyPosts) September 6, 2026
Axios reported that the federal government does not have the authority to rename states. The change would have to come at the state level, presumably through a constitutional amendment.
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Randy DeSoto has written more than 4,000 articles for The Western Journal since he began with the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book “We Hold These Truths” and screenwriter of the political documentary “I Want Your Money.”
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean’s list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith
