U.S. President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order to change the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” sparking discontent among some Americans, including members of the House of Representatives. Democratic representatives from New York and Michigan introduced the Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act to reverse the renaming of Lake Ontario and prevent future changes to any of the Great Lakes.
Google’s decision to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America” on its mapping app for U.S. users, along with Trump’s reported efforts to persuade Apple to do the same on Apple Maps, stirred controversy. However, American online mapping service MapQuest announced it would retain the original name.
Representative Kennedy, hailing from Buffalo and having a bordering district with Canada, expressed opposition to the name change during an interview with The Current. He emphasized the need to revoke the executive order and criticized Trump’s distractions from critical economic issues like tariffs on Canada.
Kennedy highlighted the strong historical ties and close relationship between the U.S. and Canada, stressing the importance of preserving this bond despite political challenges. He underlined the intertwined economies, cultural connections, and shared traditions between the two nations, emphasizing the need to stand united against any disruption to their partnership.
With the upcoming elections, Kennedy expressed confidence that the American people would respond at the ballot box to hold the current administration accountable. He acknowledged the importance of bipartisan support in passing legislation to counteract Trump’s policies and restore stability and accountability in government.
