International🌐 Available in EnglishSeptember 1, 2026

In the Trump-voting town of Ontario, lake’s new name splits Republicans

In the Trump-voting town of Ontario, lake’s new name splits Republicans
Washington Post
Washington Post
Washington Post
Original Source

President Trump's order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America has sparked mixed reactions among residents of upstate New York, dividing Republicans between those celebrating the patriotic gesture and critics who view it as a superficial distraction from serious economic and geopolitical issues.

Lake Ontario is now Lake America. Residents of Trump-voting Ontario have thoughts - The Washington Post

Accessibility statement

Democracy Dies in Darkness

Save and subscribe

Sign in

Democracy Dies in Darkness

ElectionsAug. 25 takeawaysSouth Carolina Senate special primary runoffOklahoma Senate runoffOklahoma governor runoff

ElectionsAug. 25 takeawaysSouth Carolina Senate special primary runoffOklahoma Senate runoffOklahoma governor runoff

In the Trump-voting town of Ontario, lake’s new name splits Republicans

Trump's order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America has sparked both pride and objections among residents of Upstate New York.

September 1, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EDT

Today at 5:00 a.m. EDT

5 min

*People look at Lake Ontario from a boardwalk in Toronto last week. (Cole Burston/AFP/Getty Images)*

By

Laura Beveridge

ONTARIO, N.Y. — Serafino Rosso lives in a big home in this tiny town overlooking the Great Lake it’s named after. When President Donald Trump renamed the lake, Rosso thought: Why stop there?

“I would like it if they changed the name here to the Town of America: The Town of America on the Lake of America,” Rosso, a 41-year-old telecoms manager, said proudly while standing outside Ontario’s lone grocery store. “It makes me feel really patriotic. It felt Canadian before.”

---

What readers are saying

The comments reflect a strong disapproval of President Trump's decision to rename Lake Ontario, with many viewing it as a distraction from more pressing issues like the economy and ongoing conflicts. Commenters criticize the renaming as a superficial act that panders to Trump's... Show more

This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.

* Column Michael J. Coren What it’s like to drive a car that runs on sunshine Earlier today
* Column Richard Sima We asked scientists: Is it okay to use a little bit of cannabis? Earlier today
* Danielle Douglas-Gabriel As more colleges surpass $100,000 price tag, here’s the true cost 3 hours ago
* Patrick Marley Postal Service plans may keep voters from getting ballots, whistleblower says 3 hours ago
* Arelis R. Hernández College student steps into highway traffic, is killed after losing TPS September 1, 2026
* Opinion Jim Geraghty Oh, the irony: A MAGA influencer gets deported by ICE 2 hours ago

By

Laura Beveridge

Laura Beveridge is a Stern-Bryan Fellow covering national politics and campaigns during the 2026 midterm elections. She was previously a junior political correspondent at the British social media outlet, PoliticsJOE.

* Column Richard Sima We asked scientists: Is it okay to use a little bit of cannabis? Today at 5:00 a.m. EDT
* Danielle Douglas-Gabriel As more colleges surpass $100,000 price tag, here’s the true cost Today at 6:00 a.m. EDT
* Column Carolyn Hax Carolyn Hax: Friends were pushing favors. Was accepting them a mistake? Today at 12:00 a.m. EDT
* Natalie B. Compton Where to see peak fall foliage across the U.S. Today at 6:00 a.m. EDT
* Arelis R. Hernández College student steps into highway traffic, is killed after losing TPS Today at 12:53 a.m. EDT

* 1 Column Michael J. Coren What it’s like to drive a car that runs on sunshine
* 2 Column Richard Sima We asked scientists: Is it okay to use a little bit of cannabis?
* 3 Danielle Douglas-Gabriel As more colleges surpass $100,000 price tag, here’s the true cost
* 4 Patrick Marley Postal Service plans may keep voters from getting ballots, whistleblower says
* 5 Arelis R. Hernández College student steps into highway traffic, is killed after losing TPS

Newsletter

As news breaks

Politics News Alerts

Breaking news email alerts for major political news whenever it breaks.

Company

* About The Post
* Newsroom Policies & Standards
* WP Creative Group
* Workforce Demographics
* Careers
* Media & Community Relations
* Accessibility Statement

Sections

* Trending
* Politics
* Elections
* Opinions
* U.S. News
* World
* Style
* Sports
* Business
* Climate
* Well+Being
* D.C., Md., & Va.
* Obituaries
* Weather
* Arts & Entertainment
* Recipes

Get The Post

* WP Intelligence
* Enterprise Subscriptions
* Manage Your Subscription
* Become a Subscriber
* Gift Subscriptions
* Mobile & Apps
* Newsletters & Alerts
* Washington Post Live
* Reprints & Permissions
* Post Store
* Books & E-Books
* Print Archives (Subscribers Only)
* Today’s Paper
* Public Notices
* Crosswords & Games
* Download on iOS
* Download on Android

Contact Us

* Contact the Newsroom
* Contact Customer Care
* Contact the Opinions Team
* Advertise
* Licensing & Syndication
* Request a Correction
* Send a News Tip
* Report a Vulnerability

Terms of Use

* Digital Products Terms of Sale
* Print Products Terms of Sale
* Terms of Service
* Privacy Policy
* Cookie Settings
* Submissions & Discussion Policy
* RSS Terms of Service
* Sitemap
* Ad Choices
* CA Notice of Collection
* Your Privacy Choices

washingtonpost.com © 1996-2026 The Washington Post

* WP Intelligence
* Ask The Post AI
* WP Creative Group
* Workforce Demographics
* Careers
* Media & Community Relations
* Accessibility Statement

* Trending
* Politics
* Elections
* Opinions
* U.S. News
* World
* Style
* Sports
* Business
* Climate
* Well+Being
* D.C., Md., & Va.
* Obituaries
* Weather
* Arts & Entertainment
* Recipes

* WP Intelligence
* Enterprise Subscriptions
* Manage Your Subscription
* Become a Subscriber
* Gift Subscriptions
* Mobile & Apps
* Newsletters & Alerts
* Washington Post Live
* Reprints & Permissions
* Post Store
* Books & E-Books
* Print Archives (Subscribers Only)
* Today’s Paper
* Public Notices
* Crosswords & Games
* Download on iOS
* Download on Android

* Contact the Newsroom
* Contact Customer Care
* Contact the Opinions Team
* Advertise
* Licensing & Syndication
* Request a Correction
* Send a News Tip
* Report a Vulnerability
* Download the Washington Post App

* About The Post
* Policies & Standards
* Digital Products Terms of Sale
* Print Products Terms of Sale
* Terms of Service
* Privacy Policy
* Cookie Settings
* Submissions & Discussion Policy
* RSS Terms of Service
* Sitemap
* Ad Choices
* CA Notice of Collection
* Your Privacy Choices

* washingtonpost.com
* © 1996-2026 The Washington Post

5.57.9

!pixel

🔗 Share Article

Tags:#الولايات المتحدة#ترامب#أونتاريو#السياسة الأمريكية#الجمهوريون#نيويورك

For Context

Related reads from the same topic or latest developments