Few Americans support 'Lake America' name, poll finds
GOP mayor on Lake America: "We're gonna wait and see"
Robert Corradino, the Republican mayor of Oswego, New York says he does not believe it's a good idea to change the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America," which would include changing all of the signage. He spoke with LiveNOW's Josh Breslow to share his thoughts on President Donald Trump's executive order, as well as the trade war with Canada.
WASHINGTON - A majority of Americans oppose President Donald Trump’s latest moves in his escalating dispute with Canada, including higher tariffs on Canadian goods and his order to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America," according to a new poll.
The three-day nationwide poll was conducted by Reuters/Ipsos and completed Sunday.
Few Americans support ‘Lake America’ name: poll
Big picture view:
The survey found that 57% of respondents opposed higher tariffs on Canadian goods, while just 20% supported them. Another 21% said they did not know or skipped. About one in five respondents said they had not heard about the development, according to Reuters.
The poll found even less support for the renaming of Lake Ontario than for the tariffs. Just 14% of Americans said they supported renaming Lake Ontario, while 63% opposed the move. The remainder were unsure or did not answer.
Trump increases tariffs on Canada, changes ‘Lake Ontario’ name
The backstory:
The moves come amid a wider deterioration in relations between the United States and Canada, longtime allies and major trading partners that share the world's longest international border.
Trump announced additional tariffs on certain Canadian imports on July 20; those tariffs took effect on Aug. 22. Canada's upcoming retaliatory tariffs against the United States are scheduled to take effect on September 8, 2026.
A map labeling Lake Ontario as "Lake America" is displayed as U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on August 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump’s trade dispute with Canada took a more symbolic turn last week when he signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of the Interior to implement a name change for Lake Ontario, one of North America’s five Great Lakes.
Under the order, the lake is to be referred to as "Lake America" in U.S. federal usage. The designation does not control what Canada, international organizations or other entities call the lake.
Trump signs order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America
President Trump this week signed an order to rename "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America." LiveNOW from FOX's Christy Matino breaks it down with Grant Reheer, professor of political science at Syracuse University.
Lake Ontario has been known by that name in written records for more than 400 years. "Ontario" has Indigenous, generally Wendat or Iroquoian, origins, although translations vary. The province of Ontario later adopted the lake’s name.
RELATED: Trump signs executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America
Trump has repeatedly criticized Canada and has at times threatened to make the country the 51st U.S. state. Earlier in his second term, he ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the "Gulf of America" for U.S. government use.
The Source: The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,023 U.S. adults online nationwide. It has a margin of error of approximately four percentage points. Previous FOX Local reporting, Reuters also contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.