WASHINGTON — In a dramatic escalation of cross-border tensions, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing federal agencies to officially rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America."

The symbolic renaming of the shared Great Lake arrives amid intensifying trade disputes with Ottawa. White House officials framed the decree as a patriotic assertion of maritime identity along the northern frontier.

Canadian officials have not yet issued an official response, though international law scholars note the unilateral order will carry no legal weight outside U.S. borders.