MapQuest secured the No. 1 spot on the U.S. and Canadian Apple App Store and drew over 1.5 million downloads in under a week after defying Donald Trump’s executive order to rename Lake Ontario, according to company general manager Doug Berger.
MapQuest Defies Executive Order and Tops App Stores
The controversy began on August 27, when Donald Trump signed an executive order to change Lake Ontario to “Lake America”. On the same day, MapQuest posted a map on X with the lake’s original name, and the caption “We’re not changing it.” According to TechCrunch reporting cited by The Guardian, the 30-year-old mapping service quickly outpaced competitors to reach the fourth most popular app spot overall in the U.S., excluding games, and claimed the top navigation spot on Apple’s App Store, with Google at No 2. In Canada, MapQuest was the second-most downloaded app overall by Sunday night, as reported by The Guardian.
https://x.com/MapQuest/status/2093038963196117303
While Google Maps quickly capitulated to Trump’s demands, showing Lake America to US customers, and Apple is reportedly mulling a decision under pressure from the White House to make the same change, MapQuest stood firm. The company also has an online tool that allows users to rename Lake Ontario to any name they choose. They launched the tool last year after Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” the day of his second inauguration in January 2025, according to the sources.
Public Backlash and Surging App Usage
The spike in downloads follows a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Tuesday finding Americans overwhelmingly oppose Trump’s latest rebrand. In the poll, 63 percent of people disapproved of the new name for the lake that borders the U.S. and Canada, and only 14 percent supported the move. During an interview on Wednesday’s CNN OutFront, Erin Burnett asked the MapQuest boss if people were actually using the maps, or merely downloading it as a protest against Trump’s latest rebrand. Berger responded that usage was “through the roof,” noting that usage of its app was running at about 50 times its usual rate, according to statements reported by The Guardian.
“They’re actively contributing to the conversation, telling us what features they want us to build, and our team is extremely hard at work… bringing those features to life,” Berger told CNN, adding that the major rise in downloads and installations of their app has been “completely shocking,”. He also added, “It was not intended to be a political stance. It was intended to… give people the name of lakes and gulfs that they’re familiar with.”
Reactions and What May Happen Next
The company’s stance drew immediate attention from the political sphere, including a social media post from the president’s son, Eric Trump, who wrote on X, “Shocking to see you’re still alive…,” Eric Trump said on X. “I thought the iPhone 3 took you out 15 years ago.” Asked about the MAGA post, Berger said, “First of all, it’s hilarious and it’s also true,” pointing out this year is the 30th anniversary of the company.”
https://x.com/EricTrump/status/2093119020245393619
As the White House pushes major tech firms to adopt the new nomenclature—with Doug Burgum, Trump’s interior secretary, expressing that he was “confident” it would soon show Lake America after the president contacted the company directly—further friction between federal directives and corporate mapping policies could emerge.
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