What to know
- Donald Trump says the U.S. is giving “serious consideration” to renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America.”
- The comment comes amid an escalating public feud between Trump and Ontario Premier Doug Ford over the Canada-U.S. trade war.
- The U.S. has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on roughly $28 billion of Canadian goods, following the collapse of trade talks.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney is preparing Canadian countermeasures and supports for affected workers and businesses, with retaliatory tariffs set to take effect Sept. 8.
U.S. President Donald Trump says he is giving “serious consideration” to renaming Lake Ontario as tensions with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and the Canadian government continue to escalate.
In a post on Truth Social Tuesday morning, Trump said the United States is considering changing the name of the Great Lake to “Lake America,” pointing to the weakened trade relationship between Ontario and the U.S.
“The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to do much business with Ontario any longer,” Trump wrote.
The latest comment comes amid an escalating feud between Trump and Ford, who spent much of Monday trading insults as tensions over tariffs between Canada and the U.S. intensified.
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Ford told Newstalk 1010 on Monday morning that Trump could “kiss my ass” after the U.S. president threatened to raise tariffs on Canadian automobiles, trucks and auto parts, as well as steel.
Trump later fired back on Truth Social, taking aim at the Ontario premier and comparing him to his late brother, former Toronto mayor Rob Ford.
Ford doubled down during a news conference in Hamilton, calling Trump a “dictator” and a “bully.”
“I don’t respond to a dictator like President Trump, a bully like President Trump,” Ford said, comparing Trump to a school bully who would take a student’s lunch money, toque and running shoes.
Ford also called Trump a “loser” as he defended his position on responding to the escalating trade dispute.
The personal attacks are unfolding alongside an economic fight.
Trade talks between Canada and the U.S. collapsed late Friday, after which the Trump administration moved ahead with 50 per cent tariffs on roughly $28 billion worth of Canadian goods.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has 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.
The federal government is also expected to announce additional measures to support Canadian workers and businesses affected by the tariffs.
