A majority of Americans oppose President Donald Trump’s recent decision to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” while most also reject imposing additional tariffs on Canada, according to a new poll.
The Ipsos/Reuters survey released Tuesday found that 63 percent of respondents opposed renaming the lake. Just 14 percent supported Trump’s decision, while 21 percent said they did not know how they felt about the change.
The move also failed to secure majority support among members of Trump’s own party.
Only one-third of Republican respondents approved of the executive order, while 43 percent opposed it. Support was significantly lower among Democrats, with only 6 percent backing the new name. That response closely reflected the opposition expressed by Democratic lawmakers.
The survey also asked Americans which country they believed was primarily responsible for the escalating trade dispute between the United States and Canada.
Forty-six percent said the U.S. was “more responsible,” making it the most common response among those surveyed.
The trade war began after negotiations between Washington and Ottawa broke down in late August, triggering Trump’s 50 percent tariffs on a range of Canadian products.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by announcing that his government would match the American tariffs “dollar for dollar” beginning Sept. 8.
Trump subsequently threatened another escalation, warning that tariffs on additional Canadian goods could be increased to 50 percent on Jan. 1. The products potentially affected include cars, automotive parts and steel.
The Ipsos/Reuters poll found limited public support for imposing further tariffs on America’s northern neighbor.
Twenty percent of respondents supported additional tariffs, while 57 percent opposed them. Another 21 percent said they did not know.
A sizable majority also favored compromise in resolving the trade fight.
Sixty-eight percent said the U.S. should be willing to make tradeoffs with Canada “even if it means it doesn’t get most of what it wants.” Meanwhile, 25 percent said the country should “take a tough stance” toward Canada.
The retaliatory tariffs currently affect an estimated $20 billion in Canadian products. That total would rise if Trump’s proposed additional taxes take effect in 2027.
Economist Brad Setser warned in an Aug. 24 social media post that Trump’s 50 percent tariffs would create a “direct cost” for the American economy. Setser noted that Canadian cars and trucks contain “a lot” of components manufactured in the United States.
Americans surveyed were also largely pessimistic about how the tariffs could affect their personal finances.
Only 4 percent expected the trade measures to have a mostly positive effect on their financial situations. Forty percent predicted a mostly negative impact, while 27 percent said they did not expect the tariffs to have much effect at all.
The Ipsos/Reuters poll surveyed 1,023 American adults between Aug. 28 and Aug. 30.
The survey carries a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
