Trump's bizarre 'Donald Ducks' video has an unexpected Lake Ontario connection

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated video of armed geese as “Donald Ducks,” tying the post to his disputed renaming of Lake Ontario as Lake America.

Trump’s Thursday executive order sought to rename the shared lake, drawing rejection from Canadian officials and opposition from some US politicians.

He posted the 34-second video on Saturday, August 29, after attacking CNN and praising political analyst Harry Enten.

Trump's geese video echoes 'Lake America' dispute

The video showed Canadian geese with orange hair, muscular hands, and machine guns marching to the “Hawaii Five-O” theme song.

The birds quacked, ran, stared into the camera, and fired their weapons into the sky as Trump presented them as “Donald Ducks.”

The post came as criticism and ridicule mounted over Trump’s trade war with Canada and his executive order changing the name of Lake Ontario. 

Rep Stephanie Bice, R-Okla, criticized the naming move, saying, “We’re not helping ourselves today when we decide to rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America.’” 

She added, “I mean, yeah, these are not—this does not help the case, right?”

Trump’s video appeared to take the opposite tone, turning the new name into a visual joke built around armed geese patrolling the lake.

Canadian officials reject 'Lake America' name

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected Trump’s naming order, saying, “things must be called by their name, and this lake is called Lake Ontario-today and forever.”

Carney said the name could be traced back more than 400 years and existed before both the Canadian Confederation and the US Declaration of Independence.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also wrote, “It’s Lake Ontario to Canadians and the rest of the world. Now and forever.”

Trump said the order was not a direct message to Canada but accused the country of having “been ripping us off for a long time on trade.”

The move followed the collapse of trade talks and new US tariffs of 50% on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods.

Trump said the renaming was effective immediately, while the order directs the Interior Department to update the name in the Geographic Names Information Service within 30 days.

US politicians split over the renaming

The reaction inside the US was also divided. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum backed Trump, writing, “We’re on it, Mr President!”

Burgum said, “The places and waters that border our nation and support our economy should reflect the greatness of the United States,” and said the US Geological Survey was proud to implement the order.

Democratic Rep Debbie Dingell of Michigan said she would introduce legislation to nullify the name change, calling Trump’s order “idiotic.” 

She argued that the Great Lakes are “a shared treasure that generations of Americans and Canadians have worked together to protect.”

New York Gov Kathy Hochul, whose state is the only US state bordering Lake Ontario, said New York would not call it Lake America.

The dispute also mirrors Trump’s earlier effort to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. 

Mexico rejected that change, and the name remains disputed across different jurisdictions.

There is no universally recognized international body that sets the names of international waters. Canadian officials have maintained that Lake Ontario remains Lake Ontario.