Full Breakdown
AP Declines to Adopt “Lake America” Name Amid Trump’s Renaming Order
9/10/2026, 3:38:08 AM
AP’s Naming Guidance
The Associated Press instructed its reporters to continue using “Lake Ontario” in stories, reserving the Trump-proposed “Lake America” label only for pieces where the name is directly relevant. The agency said its global audience requires consistent, recognizable place names and that the change would likely confuse readers unfamiliar with the new terminology.
Executive Order and International Reaction
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month directing the Interior Department to update the Geographic Names Information System with “Lake America” for the Great Lake that borders the United States and Canada. The order also urged private firms, such as Apple, to adopt the new name. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly opposed the move, noting that the lake’s name predates both Canada’s Confederation and the United States’ Declaration of Independence. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum similarly rejected any renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, stating that the name remains unchanged for Mexico and the world.
Official Statements & Responses
AP spokesperson Patrick Maks told The Washington Post that the agency must maintain “original” geographic names to ensure clarity for its worldwide readership. The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the AP’s guidance.
Implications and Prior Precedents
The AP’s decision follows a pattern of selective compliance with Trump’s naming initiatives. The agency previously adhered to the president’s directive to refer to Alaska’s Denali as “Mount McKinley,” despite the 2015 congressional restoration of the native name. By contrast, the AP has not renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America,” citing similar concerns about audience recognition.
These actions highlight the tension between a presidential effort to rebrand longstanding geographic features and a global news organization’s commitment to established nomenclature, especially when the changes affect a body of water shared with a foreign nation.
