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AP Won’t Adopt “Lake America” — Here’s Why
The Associated Press has told its staff to keep writing “Lake Ontario” in its coverage, rejecting President Donald Trump’s push to rebrand the Great Lake as “Lake America.” The decision, first reported this week, sets up a familiar pattern: a presidential order aimed at renaming a well-known place, followed by a major news organization declining to fall in line.
What Prompted the Name Change
In late August 2026, Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” The move came as part of his broader trade dispute with Canada, and it echoed his earlier order renaming the Gulf of Mexico. The order also pushed the Interior Department to update the federal government’s official maps, and reports indicate the administration went so far as to personally lobby Apple to reflect the new name in its Maps app. Google had already begun showing “Lake America” to U.S. users on Google Maps by late August, while keeping “Lake Ontario” visible for users in Canada.
AP Will Keep Calling It “Lake Ontario” — Despite Trump’s “Lake America” Order
Why the AP Is Sticking With “Lake Ontario”
The AP’s rationale comes down to its core mission as a global wire service. As a news organization serving audiences worldwide, the AP needs to use place names that are instantly recognizable across borders — and “Lake Ontario” fits that bill in a way a newly minted, U.S.-only name does not. The AP’s guidance makes clear that Trump’s order only binds U.S. federal agencies; it carries no legal weight over how the rest of the world, including Canada, refers to the lake.
Under the new AP guidance, reporters will default to “Lake Ontario” in their stories, only mentioning “Lake America” when the renaming itself is directly relevant to the news being covered — for instance, in stories about the trade dispute or the executive order.
Not Just the AP
The AP isn’t alone in resisting the switch. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and New York Governor Kathy Hochul have both said they’ll continue using “Lake Ontario,” and local officials along the lake’s shoreline — including the mayor of Oswego, New York — have said they have no plans to update signage, tourism materials, or branding. Reaction from residents near the lake has also skewed skeptical, with even some Trump supporters saying they see little point in the change.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t the first time the current administration has moved to rename a well-known geographic feature, and it likely won’t be the last — Trump has reportedly floated renaming a U.S. ocean next. But as with the Gulf of Mexico rebrand, the practical reach of these orders is limited: they can reshape how federal agencies label a body of water on paper, but they can’t compel news organizations, other countries, or the public to follow suit. For now, at least in AP copy, it remains Lake Ontario.
washingtonpost.com, goodfinx.com
This post is for informational purposes and reflects publicly reported news as of September 11, 2026.
