'Zero chance' latest Trump demand will matter outside of his administration

U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada escalated dramatically when he threatened his northern neighbor with new 50 percent tariffs and Canada fired back with retaliatory tariffs of its own, some of which could be as high as 50 percent. Trump, in response, is angrily railing against Canada and is threatening to give Lake Ontario a new name: Lake America. Trump's threat, according to NOTUS' Dave Levinthal, raises a legal question: "Can Trump really do that?" And the answer, he says, is, "Yes, in short."

"But as last year's Gulf of Mexico/Gulf of America brouhaha indicates, when a U.S. president attempts to unilaterally rename a large body of water that touches multiple nations, internal and external drama ensues," Levinthal explains in NOTUS. "That was particularly evident from a tranche of government records NOTUS obtained last year detailing federal government wrangling and arguments over the gulf."

Levinthal notes that the U.S. Board on Geographic Names is responsible for "maintaining uniform geographic name usage throughout the federal government."

"The U.S. Geological Survey, which is part of the Interior Department, serves as a lead agency for coordinating renaming requests," according to Levinthal. "Traditionally, name-change requests are subject to a process of review and deliberation that could take months or years. Trump upended geographic and geological naming conventions when he declared he'd rename the Gulf of Mexico the 'Gulf of America' upon his second inauguration."

Levinthal continues, "Matters moved quickly: Trump signed an executive order on January 20, 2025, that mandated the 'Gulf of America' change. On February 9, 2025, Trump declared 'Gulf of America Day' in the United States — and also suggested Canada should become the United States' 51st state. The 'Gulf of America' edict caused some internal tumult and logistical hiccups within federal agencies. But officials instituted a de facto media blackout over the process, little resistance emerged, and Trump ultimately got his way, particularly when the federal government's Geographic Names Information System made the official switch."

In order to change Lake Ontario's name, according to Levinthal, Trump "would likely employ a similar executive order and bureaucratic process."

Levinthal points out that while Congress "could also pass a law codifying such a name change," Americans wouldn't necessarily be forced to start referring to Lake Ontario as "Lake America."

"Local jurisdictions have also defied Trump," according to Levinthal. "In Florida, for example, Longboat Key leaders voted to keep the town's 'Gulf of Mexico Drive' and not change signage to 'Gulf of America Drive.' While some people and jurisdictions in New York might feel compelled or cajoled to make a 'Lake America' switch, many others may simply choose to ignore Trump's wishes and maintain their Lake Ontario status quo. The 'Gulf of America' experience also suggests that companies producing widely used maps could come to different conclusions on a 'Lake America.'"

The report also notes that foreign nations don't have to comply with Trump's demand.

'There’s almost zero chance Canada, with hundreds of miles of Lake Ontario shoreline and a province of the same name, would recognize 'Lake America' in any formal fashion," Levinthal wrote.