Polls show deep US opposition to Trump's 'Lake America' rename and Canada tariffs

Key points

• 63% of Americans oppose the 'Lake America' rename, compared to 14% support, a more lopsided margin than the previous Gulf of Mexico rename.
• 57% of Americans oppose new tariffs on Canadian goods, with 43% strongly opposing them.
• 46% of Americans believe the US is more responsible for the trade dispute than Canada.
• 40% of Americans expect the tariffs to hurt their personal finances, compared to 4% who expect them to help.
• MapQuest became the top app in the US after refusing to change Lake Ontario's name, seeing a 50x increase in usage.

Background

The renaming of Lake Ontario follows a similar executive order by Trump in his first term to rename the Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America.' The current move is part of a broader trade dispute with Canada, which includes retaliatory tariffs from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Previous archive coverage noted that several US states, including New York, Wisconsin, and Vermont, rejected the name change, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford launched a public campaign to defend the original name.

How outlets are covering it

CNN and The Guardian both highlight the severe unpopularity of the trade war and the renaming, but they frame the political implications differently. CNN focuses on the potential impact on the 2026 midterm elections, noting that border states like Michigan and Ohio are key battlegrounds. The Guardian, through columnist Robert Reich, frames the trade war as a 'bullying' tactic that is backfiring by strengthening Canadian patriotism and boosting the Liberal party's electoral prospects. KCRA focuses on the cultural and technological reaction, highlighting how MapQuest's refusal to comply with the order led to a massive surge in its popularity, contrasting with Google Maps and Apple Maps, which quickly updated their databases to reflect the new name for US users.

Why it matters

The strong opposition to both the tariffs and the symbolic renaming, even among Republicans, suggests that Trump's trade policies may face significant political resistance in the upcoming 2026 midterms. The widespread public disapproval and the cultural pushback, exemplified by the MapQuest phenomenon, indicate that these actions are not only unpopular but are also creating a narrative of resistance that could influence voter sentiment in key border states.

What to watch

The next major developments will likely include the implementation of Canada's retaliatory tariffs on September 8 and Trump's threatened 50% tariffs on autos and auto parts on January 1. The political fallout will be closely watched in the 2026 midterm elections, particularly in border states like Michigan, Ohio, and Maine, where the economic impact of the trade war is most felt.