Trump called Apple to demand they rename Lake Ontario to Lake America
The Trump administration is leaning on Apple to change the name of Lake Ontario on its Maps app, after Google relabelled the body of water after the president’s name change.
Over the weekend, Google Maps relabelled the massive lake Lake America in line with Donald Trump’s order.
Donald Trump has demanded Apple rename Lake Ontario. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
The change only shows on American phones. For Australians, the map still labels it Lake Ontario.
But Apple is yet to follow suit on its own app.
But Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said Trump himself had reached out to Apple.
"I know the president reached out to Apple directly so I'm sure we may be seeing that change coming up soon to Lake America," Burgum said.
Apple has yet to address whether it will or won't change the name.
In a statement, Google addressed the name change in a matter-of-fact way.
"The US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) has formally changed the name for 'Lake Ontario' to 'Lake America' in the United States," the statement read.
"Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the US, people using Maps in the US will see 'Lake America,' those in Canada will continue to see 'Lake Ontario'."
Americans now see Lake Ontario as Lake America on Google Maps. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
Meanwhile, MapQuest is standing firm with the original name.
"We're not changing it," the company tweeted with a screenshot of the lake.
The app, which predates Google Maps and Apple Maps, has seen a surge in popularity after the tweet.
It is currently the most popular navigation app downloaded on the Apple App Store, and eighth most popular app overall.
MapQuest has also launched a feature allowing users to rename Lake Ontario to anything they want, a tongue-in-cheek way to mock the president.
Trump announced the name change during his dispute with Canada on trade policy.
He made the change after a spat with Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
Donald Trump has initiated a trade war with Canada. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
The province is named after the lake, which straddles the border between Canada and New York.
On Saturday Ford unveiled a billboard beside the lakeshore reading: "Lake Ontario. Now and Always."
"Long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario," Ford said.
Other Canadian premiers are also mocking Trump.
“You know when a rock band is really over the hill and you see them in a casino playing some song from like 50 years ago, I think that’s the part of Donald Trump’s presidency we’re at now,” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said.
"He thought he had a real hit, a real golden oldie, with the Gulf of Mexico, and he's trying to bring that back."
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has mocked Donald Trump’s latest move as like an ageing rock band playing an old hit. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP
Trump, meanwhile, is standing firm on the name change.
On Sunday, he posted an AI-generated video of himself kicking over a Lake Ontario sign, replacing with a Lake America sign, then dancing to Village People song YMCA.
An even more bizarre AI video showed an army of geese with human arms and assault rifles, sporting Trump-style hairdos.
The video ends with the geese firing their guns into the air with the caption: "Lake America".
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