Americans hate both ‘Lake America’ and Trump’s trade war with Canada

President Donald Trump's recent trade war with Canada and his attempt to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" have been met with overwhelming opposition from Americans, according to a new Reuters-Ipsos poll. The poll found that 63% of Americans oppose renaming the lake, while only 14% support the change, a stark contrast to the 7-to-1 majority that opposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico as "Gulf of America" last year.

A similar split exists regarding Trump's new tariffs on Canada, with 57% opposing them and just 20% backing the move. Only 9% of Americans strongly support the tariffs, while 43% strongly oppose them. The poll also revealed that a majority of Americans believe the United States is more responsible for the trade dispute with Canada (46%) than Canada itself (12%).

Furthermore, about 68% of Americans would prefer the US not take a hard line in negotiations with Canada, even if it meant the US wouldn't get everything it wanted. These unpopular moves by Trump come at a time when he is facing significant opposition from his own party, particularly among Republicans who are worried about the potential impact on the upcoming midterm elections.

Many of the most competitive races are in states bordering Canada, and the tariffs on Canadian goods could disproportionately hurt Republican candidates in those areas. Despite the strong opposition, Trump has decided to press forward with these unpopular actions, even going so far as to hold an event at the White House for the renaming of Lake Ontario.

The poll suggests that the public's appetite for conflict with Canada is low, even though Trump blames the country for the trade dispute. The findings indicate that Trump's actions are likely to be even more unpopular than previous efforts to lower prices and hold the Senate.