Americans reject both “Lake America” and Trump’s trade war with Canada

President Donald Trump’s proposed “Lake America” name for Lake Ontario is deeply unpopular with Americans, according to a new Reuters-Ipsos poll. Respondents oppose the change by 63% to 14%, while 52% strongly oppose it and only 7% strongly support it.

The resistance extends to Trump’s Republican base. Republicans oppose renaming the lake by 43% to 33%. The margin is even wider among the public than it was when Trump sought to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” although support for that earlier move was roughly twice as high.

The poll also found little support for Trump’s renewed trade dispute with Canada. Americans oppose the new tariffs on Canadian goods by 57% to 20%. Only 9% strongly support the tariffs, compared with 43% who strongly oppose them. Republicans lean in favor of the tariffs, but only modestly, by 44% to 33%.

The findings challenge Trump’s explanation of the dispute. While he has blamed Canada for the escalation, 46% of respondents said the United States bears more responsibility, compared with 12% who blamed Canada. Americans also said by 40% to 4% that the tariffs would mostly hurt their personal financial situation rather than improve it.

The survey found a 68% to 25% preference for avoiding a hard line in negotiations, even if that means the United States does not secure most of its demands. Nearly half of Republicans favored the softer approach. The results add to a series of unpopular actions that Republicans will have to defend ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.