New polls have revealed Americans’ reaction to Donald Trump’s “Lake America” rename.
The name change was ordered last month by the U.S. president amid his trade war with Canada, which has lasted since much of last year.
Canada has since slammed the president’s move, and even many in the U.S. have criticized the decision.
However, that hasn’t stopped some mapping services operating in the U.S. from fully implementing the change for users there.
A Reuters-Ipsos poll of 1,023 U.S. adults has offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what Americans thought of Trump’s recent decision to rename “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America.”
It found that 63% of Americans opposed renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” compared with just 14% who supported the move. The remaining 21% chose not to take a position, further highlighting how few Americans were actually in favor of the proposal.
The voting pattern suggests less support for Trump’s renaming policy, even among his own supporters, according to the poll.
More Republicans opposed the decision, with 43% voting against it, while just 33% supported it.
Trump Ordered The Name Change In August
Trump signed an executive order late last month directing the name change, which required the Department of the Interior to update the Geographic Names Information System so the new name could be officially adopted across federal agencies.
“We’re going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario, effective immediately, to Lake America,” said the president in the Oval Office while signing the document.
Following the move, the White House’s official X account shared the same information, alongside a map showing the lake with its new name.
“EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Lake Ontario is renamed to LAKE AMERICA,” read the post with a U.S. flag emoji.
Google Maps Follows Trump’s Order As MapQuest Pushes Back
3Within days of the order, Google Maps, an online mapping service owned by Google, made the change on its platform.
Under the change, Canadian users continued to see “Lake Ontario,” while people outside both countries saw both names listed together.
However, users in the U.S. saw only the name “Lake America,” in line with Trump’s order, although the company clarified that it was following its “long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country.”
Apple Maps Follows Google With ‘Lake America’ Name Change
3After Google Maps made the change, attention turned to Apple Maps, since it’s one of the most-used platforms for directions among phone users.
Reports immediately began to swirl that Trump had personally reached out to the company to request the same change on Apple Maps.
“I know that the president reached out to Apple directly, so I’m sure that we may be seeing that change coming up soon to Lake America,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in an interview.
On September 1, Apple finally made the switch, following Google’s approach on the matter.
MapQuest Says It Won’t Change Lake Ontario’s Name
MapQuest, which began offering online mapping years before Google existed, announced it had no plans to make the switch.
“We’re not changing the name of Lake Ontario. Name it whatever you want at your leisure,” the company stated in a post that quickly went viral, accompanied by a satirical tool allowing users to rename the lake themselves.
A day before Apple Maps made the change, MapQuest doubled down on its decision to keep the name as “Lake Ontario” in another post.
“We are aware that Lake Ontario is being correctly labeled on our map,” it wrote on X.
The decision has drawn praise for the platform for standing up to Trump amid the ongoing trade war battle with Canada.
