What to know
- Toronto councillor and mayoral candidate Brad Bradford responded to Donald Trump’s proposal to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” with a sarcastic video.
- Bradford joked that if elected mayor, he would rename New York State the “Province of New York,” before saying the real focus should be supporting local businesses during the Canada-U.S. trade war.
- His video received more than 250,000 views, but online reaction was mixed, with many criticizing him for matching Trump’s “childish” tone and telling him to focus on Toronto’s issues.
- The exchange comes after Canada-U.S. trade talks collapsed, with the Trump administration moving ahead with 50 per cent tariffs on about $28 billion in Canadian goods. Canada plans retaliatory tariffs starting Sept. 8.
Toronto Councillor Brad Bradford has responded to threats of renaming Lake Ontario laid out by U.S. President Donald Trump, giving the south-of-the-border politician a taste of his own medicine.
The Beaches-East York politician released a video on X around 2:46 p.m. on Tuesday, replying directly to Trump’s post earlier that day.
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In a post on Truth Social just before 7 a.m. Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. was considering changing the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” pointing to the weakened trade relationship between the province and the neighbouring country.
Bradford fired back hours later with his response.
“Two can play that game,” Bradford said.
He explained how New York State, across the lake, was originally called the Province of New York during the British reign from 1664 to 1776. This title is something Bradford vowed to bring back if elected Toronto mayor on Oct. 26.
“Here’s what we’re going to do when I’m elected mayor: we’re going to change it back to the Province of New York. This is real,” Bradford said.
Bradford continued, saying Trump would be able to look at the “province” when he retires in “Trump Tower.”
Midway through the video, Bradford clears up that he was just joking before sharing his true thoughts.
“You can change the name of a lake, but you can’t change the spirit of our city, our province, or our country,” Bradford said.
He added that while the country can’t change the tariff war, residents can change their shopping habits and shop local.
“We can’t do what Washington does, but we can change how Toronto shows up for its own,” Bradford said.
Trump has not responded to Bradford’s response.
Online reaction
Bradford’s response gained over 250,000 views, with many residents commenting on his clapback attempt.
“Unlike the lake, this name change debacle is not that deep, Brad,” one X user wrote in response.
While some applauded Bradford for his quick response, many didn’t support the mayoral candidate’s decision.
“Brad, you’re running to be Mayor of Toronto, not Grade Two class president,” one X user wrote. “Trump’s Lake Ontario nonsense was embarrassing. I didn’t think we needed a Toronto mayoral candidate to prove we could be just as childish.”
“You’re not helpful,” another X user said. Many others agreed, saying the video leaned more childish and desperate rather than a move that would push Trump off his plan to rename the lake.
Many others warned Bradford not to stoop to Trump’s level.
‘Toronto has its own problems to worry about, sir. Let’s not stray away from those,” one X user said.
The feud follows trade talks between Canada and the U.S. that collapsed late Friday. After this, the Trump administration moved ahead with 50 per cent tariffs on around $28 billion worth of Canadian goods.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will respond with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, with the countermeasures set to take effect Sept. 8, after the Labour Day weekend.
