Over the past few weeks, United States President Donald Trump has waged a trade war with Canada that has even resulted in him renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America. However, one NFL team seems to be taking a stand against the president’s anti-Canada push.
As the NFL season gets set to begin this week, the Buffalo Bills – who play their games on the shores of Lake Ontario and have a sizable Canadian fanbase – have announced that they will play the Canadian national anthem in addition to the United States national anthem before their games.
Trump’s War With Canada
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Last week, President Trump officially signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America amidst an ongoing trade war with Canada.
The order argues that “the deepest parts of the Lake’s waters lying within United States territory, the United States claims most of the Lake’s volume,” while also stating that the “Lake has long been an integral asset to American exploration, settlement, commerce, and defense.”
Trump said he had “filed all the necessary papers, documents, everything else” required to officially carry out the name change.
“We notified all of the various people that we have to notify. So we’ve done everything that you have to do, and this is official, effective immediately,” he said.
Asked what message he intended to send by renaming the lake, Trump said the decision was not meant to convey any particular message.
“No message. As you know, Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade,” Trump said. “They don’t pay for anything, and they want to be treated like a state, but they’re not a state.”
This comes months after Trump declared that Canada should simply join the United States and become the 51st state in the union – something Canada wanted no part of.
Bills to Play Canadian National Anthem
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This week, as the Buffalo Bills prepare for another NFL season, the team has confirmed that it will play the Canadian national anthem, “O Canada,” in addition to the United States national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” before home games.
“The Bills have announced that both anthems will be played prior to the start of next Thursday night’s showdown with the Lions. It comes at a time when tensions are high between the respective governments over trade issues, but when the citizens of the two countries have little or no real animosity between them,” wrote Mike Florio of [Pro Football Talk](https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/for-the-first-time-bills-will-play-canadian-and-american-anthems-before-a-home-game).
“Canada has been our next-door neighbor for a very long time. And most Americans are wired to act neighborly. In this specific instance, the Bills are making a very neighborly gesture.”
Florio was quick to point out that this stands in pretty clear opposition to Trump’s anti-Canada rhetoric, and it’s unlikely that the president will be happy about this.
“Still, it’s just a matter of time before someone who once wanted to buy the Bills has something to say about this. In all caps. Perhaps with a dash of AI slop. Before thanking us for our attention to this matter,” Florio wrote, mocking Trump.