The claim surfaced amid the Trump administration’s recent geographic naming-changing spree
WASHINGTON, DC: As trade tensions between the United States and Canada continue to simmer, a fabricated online rumor recently went viral, alleging that Donald Trump announced the acquisition of “Canadian Tire” and its subsequent rebranding to “American Tire.” The post quickly generated widespread amusement and debate online, prompting a closer look at its authenticity.
Claim: Trump buys ‘Canadian Tire’ shares and renames it ‘American Tire’
The misinformation began circulating as a screenshot on X (formerly Twitter), purporting to show a message directly from the former president’s Truth Social account.
The fake message stated: “The store called ‘Canadian Tire’ north of the border sells 100% American products. For this reason, I have bought most of its shares and renamed it ‘American Tire’. Thank you for your attention in this matter!”
Amplified by numerous users, the post was treated by some as a genuine statement, fueling both online mockery and anxiety regarding the state of cross-border commerce.
Fact Check: Donald Trump never published this statement
In reality, the claim is entirely baseless. A review of Trump’s official social media profiles reveals no such post, and digital archive accounts that track his every statement show no record of the message ever existing.
Had a major political figure announced the hostile takeover of a prominent Canadian retail chain, it would have immediately dominated international news cycles. However, mainstream media outlets and search engines yielded zero coverage of the supposed event.
Further investigation into the origin of the screenshot points to an X account under the handle “Mark Carney’s Ego,” which clearly states in its biography that it operates as a parody account mocking Canadian political figures.
Context: Recent US-Canada naming controversies
The rumor gained traction against the backdrop of real-world tensions and recent administration initiatives involving the renaming of prominent geographic features amid trade disputes.
These actions have included federal directives utilizing terms like the “Gulf of America” instead of the “Gulf of Mexico,” and proposals regarding other regional landmarks. Speaking on the matter, Trump highlighted previous administrative changes, remarking, “As you know, we took something called the Gulf of Mexico, we changed it, and now it’s very routinely the Gulf of America.”