A Reuters/Ipsos poll released August 31 found that 63% of Americans oppose President Trump’s executive order to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” with only 14% in favor and 21% undecided, according to the survey conducted over three days ending Sunday. The polling shows the geographic renaming—one of Trump’s signature second-term initiatives—faces overwhelming public disapproval.
Trump signed the executive order on August 28, directing the federal government to rename the shared U.S.-Canada border lake. The move came as Trump proposed renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” amid Canada trade war escalation, following his administration’s imposition of 50% tariffs on Canadian goods after trade negotiations collapsed.
The renaming represents Trump’s second major geographic rebranding in his second term. In January 2025, he signed Executive Order 14172 renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” That earlier initiative also faced significant public opposition: a poll showed 71% of Americans opposed the Gulf renaming compared to 29% who supported it, according to Wikipedia’s documentation of the naming controversy.
Tech companies moved quickly to implement the change. Google Maps updated its service to display “Lake America” for U.S. users, while Apple Maps followed suit on September 2, though both platforms maintained the original “Lake Ontario” name for Canadian users. The rapid compliance reflected how Trump’s executive orders now trigger immediate action across major digital platforms.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the executive order, insisting that Canadians would continue using the historic name. His rejection underscored the renaming’s limited practical effect: the change applies only to federal U.S. government use and platforms complying with U.S. directives, leaving the lake’s international and Canadian designation unchanged.
The 63% opposition figure aligns with Trump approval hitting 33% in summer polling, the lowest of his second term, suggesting the renaming initiative contributes to broader erosion of public confidence. The polling also showed that 57% of Americans opposed Trump’s new tariffs on Canada, indicating public skepticism toward the entire trade war strategy that prompted the lake renaming.
Sources
- Reuters/Ipsos Poll — confirmed 63% opposition and 14% support for Lake Ontario renaming in three-day survey ending August 31, 2026
- Fox News — reported poll results showing 63% opposed, 14% favored the renaming
- USA Today — confirmed polling data and Trump’s August 28 executive order signing
- NPR — documented the 50% tariff context and August 27 executive order announcement
- Al Jazeera — reported on the trade war backdrop and executive order signing
- Wikipedia — Gulf of Mexico naming controversy article documenting 71% opposition to 2025 renaming
- Economic Times — reported Apple Maps name change for U.S. users on September 2
- Yahoo News Canada — reported Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s rejection of the order
