Donald Trump’s new name for Lake Ontario is not at all popular with Americans, a new poll reveals.
The 80-year-old president threw a tantrum after trade negotiations with Canada broke down and decided the best way to teach his northern neighbors a lesson was to unilaterally rename “Lake Ontario” “Lake America.”
Canadians have been unimpressed and defiant, thumbing their noses at his executive order, which holds no legal basis in their country. But even south of the border, Trump’s play has not gained much traction.
Only 14 percent of respondents in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll said that renaming the lake was a good idea, while 63 percent said they did not support it.
The same poll gathered opinions on the tariffs Trump has introduced on America’s closest ally, which he said would be imposed after the collapse of trade negotiations between Ottawa and Washington, D.C., last month.
Just 20 percent of respondents supported the levy, while 57 percent opposed it.
The tariffs have seen Canada respond in kind with a tranche of new taxes on U.S. goods. Both moves will likely see higher prices for everyday Americans, who are already reeling from sky-high gas prices due to the war in Iran and brutal grocery costs turbo-charged by a perfect storm, from low herd sizes to ratcheted fertilizer prices.
The three-day poll wrapped on Sunday and shows strong skepticism among Americans about a trade war with Canada.
Higher prices and affordability are worrying Republicans ahead of the midterms in November, which are expected to act as a referendum on Trump’s first two years back in the White House.
The economy will likely be at the top of voters’ minds, and now Republican candidates face the decision of whether or not to break with Trump or stick with the man who has led their party for a decade.
It comes as The Hill reports Trump’s approval has tanked to a new low of 32 percent. The University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst poll was conducted in late August and saw a 1-point drop from the same poll conducted in March.
The new poll found that 64 percent of people disapproved of his job since returning to the White House.
One-sided name changes have become a go-to for a scolded Trump, who also unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America last year.
Google changed Lake Ontario’s name for users in the U.S. on Saturday, while those in Canada still see the real centuries-old name.
“Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS [Geographic Names Information System] for the U.S., people using Maps in the U.S. will see ‘Lake America,’ those in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario’ and those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names,” Google wrote in a blog post cited by the BBC.
Meanwhile, Ontario’s premier Doug Ford has hit back at Trump by erecting a huge sign saying “Lake Ontario,” and “Lac Ontario,” for French speakers, with the added message of “now and always.”
“Long before President Trump, this lake was called Lake Ontario,” he said, according to the BBC. “Long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario.”
