Podcaster Joe Rogan criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” suggesting that the action serves to “distract” Americans from the ongoing war with Iran. Rogan shared his thoughts during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience with comedian Brian Simpson. Rogan has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s involvement in Iran, arguing that the focus on the lake’s new name could divert attention from the conflict, which he believes the United States cannot win.

On August 27, Trump signed an executive order directing U.S. federal agencies to use “Lake America” instead of Lake Ontario in geographic naming systems. This name change comes amid deteriorating U.S.-Canada relations and rising trade tensions. It only applies to U.S. federal usage, leaving Canada to continue using the original name and not establishing a new international nomenclature.

“To distract you from the fact that we’re in a war that we can’t win in Iran,” Rogan said about the renaming during his podcast. He added, “It doesn’t make any sense. Like who cares, it’s Lake Ontario, it’s a good name, we’ve had that name forever.”

Rogan has been increasingly outspoken about Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict. Earlier this year, he questioned the administration’s decision to engage in war and speculated that Israel might have influenced the United States’ involvement. He also suggested that Trump’s supporters might feel betrayed by this decision, placing his comments within a broader context of criticism over the conflict.

The Lake America controversy has emerged as a political and cultural issue. Google has adopted “Lake America” for U.S. users while maintaining “Lake Ontario” in Canada, highlighting the limited geographic reach of the name change.

Polling on Iran War and ‘Lake America’

Rogan’s comments come at a crucial time for the Trump administration, as the U.S. continues military operations against Iran and carries out strikes on Iranian targets. Public support for the conflict has waned.

A University of Massachusetts Amherst poll revealed that 68 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s management of the Iran war, and 54 percent disapprove of U.S. military actions in Iran. When asked about Trump’s handling of the conflict, only 25 percent rated it as very or somewhat well, while 68 percent rated it not too well or not well at all. This reflects a new low across three surveys by the pollster.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst poll surveyed 1,000 respondents from August 21–26, 2026, with a margin of error of 3.5 percent.

A YouGov/Economist poll from the previous month indicated Trump’s approval rating on Iran at 30 percent, with 62 percent disapproval. Only 25 percent believed the war was the right choice, while 57 percent thought it was wrong. The poll involved 1,611 U.S. adults from August 14-17, 2026, with a margin of error of 3.4 percent.

Recent surveys show similar disapproval of renaming Lake Ontario. A YouGov/Economist poll found that only 17 percent approved of the change, with 68 percent disapproving. The poll surveyed 1,592 U.S. adults from August 28 to August 31, 2026, with a margin of error of 3.5 percent.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that just 14 percent of Americans supported the renaming, while 63 percent opposed it. This survey involved 1,023 U.S. adults from August 28 to August 30, 2026, with a margin of error of 4 percent.

For questions about this article, contact Newsweek editors: Sam Wilson.