The Cleveland City Council voted 13-1 on Monday to symbolically rename a two-mile stretch of Lake Erie along the city's shoreline as the "Gulf of Cleveland," a pointed rebuke of President Trump's recent executive actions that renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America" and the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America."
The emergency resolution, introduced by Councilmember Kris Harsh, passed with immediate effect, though it carries no legal weight. It instructs the city clerk to notify Apple and other national mapping services of the new designation for the waters between Cleveland's eastern and western borders.
During the council session, Harsh criticized Trump's unilateral renaming efforts, arguing they disregard historical and legislative precedent. "President Trump's orders to assign new names without reference to history, tradition, and other acts of Congress have opened the door for United States officials to rename other geography," he said. "Thanks to him, this is a man who clearly isn't afraid to say what no one is thinking."
Harsh displayed a map with "Gulf of Cleveland" over the lake's adjacent waters, adding that Trump's moves made him "emboldened" to pursue the change. He preempted potential criticism with a dismissive "Who cares?" and then mocked Trump's communication style, saying, "Listen to me very carefully and jot this down: Words don't matter," before concluding with a sarcastic "Thank you for your attention to this matter."
The resolution is the latest in a series of local and state responses to Trump's renaming orders. Earlier this month, a GOP lawmaker urged Trump to rename Lake Erie 'Lake Pennsylvania', while other localities have engaged in similar symbolic acts. The Nashville Airport Board voted to rename its facility for Dolly Parton, and South Park renamed itself 'South America' in a jab at Trump.
Trump's executive order renaming Lake Ontario, issued amid escalating trade tensions with Canada, drew immediate backlash. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both criticized the move, with Ford likening it to "something out of 'Saturday Night Live." The Seneca Nation also objected, citing the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, which established their territorial borders.
The renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America" was quickly adopted by Google and Apple for U.S. users, though international users see both names, and Mexican and Canadian users see the original designations. The change prompted a lawsuit from Mexico's government in May 2025, with President Claudia Sheinbaum arguing it violated national sovereignty. It also led to a surge in MapQuest downloads, as that platform kept the original names.
While the Cleveland resolution is purely symbolic, it underscores the ongoing political friction over presidential authority to alter geographic names. Harsh's move reflects a broader trend of local governments using symbolic gestures to push back against federal decisions, a tactic that has gained traction in recent months.
