Trump lake renaming draws split reactions as trade tensions persist

President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America has divided New York Republicans and Democrats as trade tensions with Canada continue. The dispute follows the breakdown of trade negotiations and the imposition of 50% tariffs earlier this week.

Bruce Blakeman, a Republican candidate for governor and ally of Trump, called the renaming “fun” and said it was not serious. State Sen. George Borrello opposed the move, saying it distracts from trade issues and does not respect Indigenous culture.

Democratic officials, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and state Sen. Jeremy Cooney, criticized the focus on the name change while pointing to higher prices, negotiations with Canada and the lake’s Indigenous and cross-border history.

Read the full story at spectrumlocalnews.com.