At 1:20 in the afternoon, the President of the United States assembled the press in the Oval Office, brought in the cameras, and held an official presidential event so he could announce that he was renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” effective immediately. More than half the lake sits on the Canadian side of the border, and the name he tried to erase was never his to erase. “Ontario” comes from a Wendat word meaning “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big,” spoken on those shores for more than four centuries. Then he went further, musing that maybe he would rename the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans too, while Stephen Miller stood off to the side, arms folded, grinning. None of this happens with Trump alone. Miller was not wondering how far this president might go. He was smiling because he wants to go there with him.
This is petty, but it is not only petty. Trump has spent nearly his entire term using American economic power to punish Canada, one of our closest allies, for refusing to bow to him. Asked what message the renaming sent, he said “no message,” then called Canadian officials “nasty people” and said of their representatives, “Maybe they’ll change.” Given how often he has floated making Canada the 51st state, that line is worth sitting with. He opened the same event boasting about record stock markets while saying nothing about the families who do not own retirement accounts and are just trying to afford groceries and rent. And asked whether his trade war could hurt affordability heading into the midterms, he said it would “ultimately” be good for us.
What stays with me is how different this is from a time when people in a president’s own party would tell him no. Margaret Chase Smith stood up to McCarthy. Goldwater, Scott, and Rhodes walked into the White House and told Nixon it was over. Every one of them chose country over party, while the people behind Trump today just smiled. But even so, this does not feel like the end of our country. It feels like her comeback. When Trump signed that order, millions of people did something he did not expect: they went looking for the name he tried to erase, and read about a 400-year-old Wendat word more people heard in one day than in years. That is what happens when you try to silence something true. It gets louder. He can change what the government calls a lake, but he cannot change where that name came from or the people who have carried it for generations. That word will outlast every executive order he ever signs. And so will we.
See the full story in the video.
We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.
Thank you for your continued support. Your paid subscriptions have enabled me to add a video editor and reach more people.
Independent media is under attack. You can make a difference with a $5/month paid subscription. Your support allows me to keep telling the truth about the lies and destruction unfolding in our country, defend myself from constant pressure from MAGA extremists, and ultimately spread the message to more people.
I’m fighting to save our country (before it’s too late).
I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather
This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 8-27-2026.
This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/27/politics/trump-canada-lake-ontario-america
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/27/trump-canada-lake-america-ontario.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/27/trump-signs-order-changing-name-lake-ontario/
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lake-ontario
