A screenshot authentically shows a Truth Social post from U.S. President Donald Trump announcing the construction of the “Melania Canal” to connect to “Lake America,” also known as Lake Ontario.
After U.S. President Donald Trump announced in August 2026 that he would rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” social media users spread a screenshot appearing to show a Truth Social post from the president that announced the construction of the “Melania Canal” that would
The screenshot circulated across Facebook (screenshot) and Threads. Here’s what Trump allegedly said:
The FAKE NEWS is saying we need the Canadian canals that connect to LAKE AMERICA. Total lie! We don’t need their small, low-energy Welland Canal! America built the Panama Canal, we built the Suez Canal — incredible, beautiful, high-IQ canals! I have officially instructed the Army Corps of Engineers to build a much BIGGER, DEEPER, WIDER, and far more powerful canal bypass connecting straight into Lake America! It is going to be magnificent! And we are naming it after my stunning, beautiful wife: THE MELANIA CANAL. Every American will be able to EASILY enter the Melania Canal from BOTH the front end and the back side for a very minimal fee! Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Some users seemed to interpret the rumor as true, and Snopes readers contacted us to investigate its legitimacy.
A closer look at the screenshot indicated that this post was labeled as satire, both under the usual spot for “Likes” on a Truth Social post and as a watermark across the image.
According to the watermark, this post originated with a Facebook account called Mrs. Putin, which identifies itself as “Satire/Parody” in its description. Mrs. Putin first shared the post (screenshot) on Aug. 29.
As Mrs. Putin pointed out in a Facebook message conversation with Snopes in 2025, the account’s posts often include several indicators that they are satire, including misspelled names. In this case, aside from the “satire” label, other indicators that the post is fake include that Mrs. Putin changed “Likes” to “disLikes” and misspelled Trump’s social media tag, “@realDonaldTrump,” as “@realDotardTurmp” and his last name as Turmp.
(Mrs. Putin)
A search of Trump’s social media accounts using the databases Trump’s Truth and Factbase also determined that, as of this writing, the president has not declared the construction of a “Melania Canal.” He did, however, float renaming the Strait of Hormuz to “Trump Strait” in a Sept. 2 Truth Social post.
For more on Lake Ontario and its renaming, Snopes previously debunked a claim that Canadian officials were refusing passage to ships with “Lake America” in their documentation and confirmed that Lake Ontario was not named after the Canadian province.
Snopes also has previously written about numerous satirical Mrs. Putin posts.
Because the effectiveness of satire is subjective, we use “originated as satire” or “labeled satire” ratings based on creators’ description of their work. It’s your call on whether you agree.
