'He's losing it here': Trump's own voters turn on him over Lake America stunt
Supporters of President Donald Trump are rejecting his renaming of Lake Ontario and delivered a fiery rebuke when asked about it.
In a Thursday CNN segment, a current Trump supporter shared his thoughts, echoing criticism from a New York mayor who saw no point in renaming it Lake America.
"I've been on his side all the way, right from day one, but I think he's losing it here," the supporter said. "I just assume that it remains Lake Ontario."
Republican Mayor Robert Corradino of Oswego, New York, similarly saw "no practical, historical, or cultural need to change" the name to Lake America. "Preserving the name Lake Ontario is part of preserving who we are," he said.
During an interview on the CNN segment, Corradino explained, "This has become a big issue. I didn't realize that it was going to be a big issue, but it really hits to the heart of our residents here in Oswego."
In a Politico piece, Corradino said that he had previously voted for Trump, but the city of 17,000 is split between Democrats and Republicans. Oswego County, however, is one of the reddest counties in New York, as 61 percent of its voters elected Trump in 2024, Politico reported.
"The lake is our identity," Corradino said. "Lake Ontario is a name that has been around for 300-400 years. The people who live here now certainly identify with it."
Corradino said that the name "Ontario" can be found all over Oswego, including at Fort Ontario and the Ontario Convention Center. However, he said that the impact of Trump's feud with Canada extends beyond the renaming.
"In the last two years, we've seen a drastic reduction in visitors from Canada," Corradino said. "We've seen a big decline in tourism from Canada."
Oswego also has a port that brings in Canadian aluminum, potash and grain.
"We're being hit on several fronts," Corradino said. "Especially in the jobs. The tourism industry is down, so that means less people working in restaurants and stores."