Trump Takes a Sharpie to the Map — Teases More to Come

Renaming lakes with a Sharpie from the Oval Office. We're in a new era of cartography and no body of water is safe.

Madison Summers · Aug 28, 2026 · 2 min read

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On Thursday, President Donald Trump focused his attention on the Great Lakes, brandishing his trademark Sharpie to alter the map. In one stroke, he renamed Lake Ontario as “Lake America” — and indicated the action could be the first ripple in a larger plan.

The name change will start appearing on printed documents in the coming days, said Dr. Ned Mamula, director of the U.S. Geological Survey.

The rechristening of the easternmost Great Lake energized supporters and stunned detractors. Trump even teased that other bodies of water might soon fall under his renaming eye.

Check out an image of the name change below:

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117169587997925219

"We're going to make a little change. We're going to call it something different than Lake Ontario," Trump said as he crossed out Lake Ontario with a Sharpie in the Oval Office. "We're going to call it Lake America, and all it takes is a good pen and some intelligence."

"So Lake Ontario, that's gone," Trump continued, adding, "Enjoy Lake America!”

Watch the video below:

https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2092941057616949604

https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2093027836949156053

Canadian Officials Roll Their Eyes

It is not a surprise that Trump's latest move caused Canadian officials to scoff.

Prime Minister Mark Carney declared that the lake will be called Lake Ontario "now and always," per CBC. (https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-lake-ontario-america-9.7322947)

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston chimed in on the announcement, "We're into some real foolishness now."

"It's Lake Ontario, buddy," he added.

"I think that's the part of Donald Trump's presidency we're at now," Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said. "He thought he had a real hit, a real golden oldie with the Gulf of Mexico, and he's trying to bring back that, and he's trying to play the hits for his base. But I think everybody here thinks it's a little sad and it's not his best work."

Tensions have continued to escalate between the U.S. and Canada amid a trade war. Trump smacked a 50% tariff on Canada earlier this week. (https://ijr.com/article/trump-hits-canada-with-50-tariffs-after-carney-claims-war-2)

Canada responded by slapping a retaliatory tariff on roughly $20 billion of U.S. goods. (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/25/canada-trump-tariffs-trade-carney-leblanc.html)