President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he plans to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America,” drawing swift criticism from New York officials.

“We’re going to be changing the name effective immediately of Lake Ontario to Lake America,” Trump said.

The move comes amid escalating trade tensions between the United States and Canada.

After trade talks broke down last week, Trump imposed $20 billion in tariffs on Canadian imports. Canadian officials responded with “dollar for dollar” retaliatory tariffs.

Lake Ontario is bordered by the Canadian province of Ontario to the north, west and southwest, and by New York State to the south and east.

As with Trump’s effort to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” the name change would apply only to federal entities. Canada and New York, which borders the lake, are not required to recognize the new name.

Gov. Kathy Hochul quickly rejected the proposed name, writing on social media that “New York won’t be calling it that.”

Hochul also criticized the president in an interview with NY1.

“I’m speechless. It is so patently absurd,” she said. “Shame on them for deflecting from the real needs that Americans are feeling that we have here in New York. The high cost of energy, prescription drugs, utility bills, groceries. And this is what the president spends his time on? Renaming a lake that was named after our Indigenous peoples. Shame on you.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the move “juvenile” and said Trump’s trade policies would hurt New Yorkers.

“Instead of lowering costs and cancelling his damaging tariffs, Trump is doubling down on a juvenile effort to rename one of the Great Lakes. He’s escalating his reckless tariff war with our closest trading partner and ally, which will continue to drive up costs for Upstate New York families, seniors and small businesses. It’s a pathetic attempt at distraction, and it’s working families who are paying the price,” Schumer said in a statement.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also criticized the announcement, arguing that the effort would cost taxpayers.

“Donald Trump picked a fight with Canada that is costing you money. Instead of fixing it, he is spending your tax dollars to rename Lake Ontario. Republicans don’t give a damn about making your life more affordable,” Jeffries wrote on social media.

The name Ontario comes from an Indigenous word meaning “lake of shining waters.”

Lake Ontario is the smallest of the five Great Lakes.