On Thursday, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America, declaring that the change would be effective immediately. The Department of the Interior, led by Secretary Doug Burgum, has been tasked with implementing the directive.
Lake Ontario, one of North America’s five Great Lakes, borders the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York. This move comes shortly after trade negotiations between the US and Canada collapsed last week, with both nations blaming each other for the failure of three days of intensive talks.
In a related development, a federal judge is set to hear a legal challenge aimed at preventing President Trump’s name from being added to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The hearing, scheduled for 2 pm ET before US District Judge Christopher Cooper, marks the second attempt to block the renaming.
Judge Cooper previously ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center’s facade in May, siding with Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who argued that only Congress has the authority to alter the center’s name. Beatty, a Kennedy Center board member by virtue of her congressional role, filed the lawsuit after the center changed its marble facade in December to read: “The Donald J Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
Following the court order, the Kennedy Center removed Trump’s name from the facade in June, covering the area with a large tarp. The administration’s initial appeal to reinstate Trump’s name was rejected by a federal appeals court.
However, on August 13, the Kennedy Center board, which includes Trump appointees, voted to modify the signage again. The new inscription reads: “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump,” and the grounds have been named the “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”
Before the hearing, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, appointed by Trump to oversee the Kennedy Center, defended the board’s decision. He emphasized the board’s overwhelming support and praised Trump’s role in the center’s restoration, stating that the president possesses the authority and expertise to accomplish the renovation.
Representative Beatty countered that the revised signage violates the previous court order and requested the judge to block the new plan. The administration argued that the updated wording does not breach the injunction since the official name remains the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. They stated that the addition of “Restored and Renovated by” merely acknowledges Trump’s contributions.
The administration’s filing highlighted Trump’s efforts to preserve the Kennedy Center, including a planned two-year closure for renovations. They warned that without these efforts, the center would continue to deteriorate into an unsafe and dilapidated state, potentially requiring demolition and a decision on future construction at the site.
