Trump-Voting Town Turns on President Over Name Stunt

Evelyn Hockstein / REUTERS In the upstate New York town named after Lake Ontario, some supporters of Donald Trump oppose his executive order renaming the body of water “Lake America.” Trump, 80, announced the change last week as part of his trade war with Canada, claiming that the country “has been ripping us off for a long time on trade.” Even if that’s the case, some residents of the town of Ontario—which sits on the southern shore of Lake Ontario about 15 miles east of Rochester—who voted for the president would prefer he rescind his executive order.

“I don’t think the lake’s name should be changed because it’s history,” 2024 Trump voter Dave Rupp, the operator of Ontario’s liquidation store, told The Washington Post.

“And I don’t like changing history.” Formerly named Freetown, Ontario, acquired its current name in 1808.

Trump voter and farm owner Cassandra Tylenda also told the Post that she was optimistic about the president’s tariffs but could do without the change to the lake’s name.

“I like Lake Ontario better,” she said.

“But there’s nothing I can do about it.” Ontario voted for Trump in 2024 , 2020 , and 2016 .

The town lies in Wayne County, which also supported Trump in each of those years.

In 2024, he garnered his highest percentage yet in the lakefront county: 61 percent.

Serena Eaton, who lives near Ontario and is not a supporter of the president, told the Post that renaming the lake was “distracting” from issues like the Epstein files and the war in Gaza.

“America doesn’t just own the lake,” the 24-year-old said.

“I’m not going to call it Lake America.

But my town is really redneck.

I’m sure a lot of people will just switch their brains off and tune out sensible reason.” Renaming Lake Ontario is extremely unpopular, according to at least one poll.

According to a new Reuters/Ipsos survey, only 14 percent of respondents approved, while 63 percent did not.