A majority of Americans oppose President Donald Trump renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America” amid his trade war with Canada, a new poll has found. Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing the Interior Department to update the lake’s name in the U.S. geographic naming system. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in response, noted that the name is over 400 years old.
Sixty-three percent of respondents said they opposed the name change, according to a /Ipsos poll conducted from Friday to Sunday. In contrast, only 14 percent said they supported the change and the rest were not sure or didn’t answer the question. The poll was conducted online and nationwide among 1,023 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
Another recent poll also found a majority disapproved of the name change—68 percent of respondents to be exact, while just 15 percent said they approve, according to The Economist/YouGov poll. It was conducted between August 28 and 31 among 1,592 U.S. adult citizens, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent. It comes amid strained relations amid a trade dispute between the U.S. and its northern neighbor.
The Trump administration announced 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade talks between the two countries broke down. Canada responded by imposing retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of American goods, including steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment. Trump has repeatedly attacked Canada since returning to office last year, including by suggesting it should become the 51st state.
The /Ipsos poll also found that Americans disapprove of Trump's tariffs against Canada. Only 20 percent of respondents said they supported higher tariffs on Canadian goods, while 57 percent said they opposed them. A separate /Ipsos poll released on Monday found that Trump’s approval rating remains at the lowest level of his political career.
Just 33 percent approve of the job he is doing in the White House, while 63 percent said they disapprove, according to the poll, giving him a net approval rating of -30. The poll also found that 71 percent of respondents do not approve of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, one of the top issues for voters ahead of November’s midterm elections. The poll surveyed 1,167 U.S. adults between August 28 and 31 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percent.
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