Trump Demands Apple Rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America'
US President Donald Trump has requested Apple to rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' on its maps, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. This is the latest move in Trump's escalating trade war with Canada. The request comes after Trump signed an executive order last week directing the Interior Department to update the lake's name in the US geographic naming service.
The Interior Department has confirmed that Trump 'reached out to Apple directly' and expressed confidence that the 'Lake America' name could be seen on its platform soon. However, Apple did not immediately comment in response. Google Maps had already updated its labels for Lake Ontario over the weekend, citing the recent order by Trump and following their long-standing policy of using names assigned by the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
Google stated that users in the US will see 'Lake America', while those in Canada will still see 'Lake Ontario'. The move has been met with criticism from Canada, with the leader of the Seneca Nation in upstate New York calling it a 'blatant disrespect' for Indigenous people who gave Lake Ontario its name.