The boss of vintage navigation company MapQuest has revealed the stunning spike in downloads and usage its seen since defying Donald Trump.
Trump, 80, signed an executive order to change Lake Ontario to “Lake America” on Aug. 27. The same day, MapQuest posted a map on X with the lake’s original name, and the caption “We’re not changing it.”
Both Google Maps and Apple Maps have bowed to Trump’s demands and changed the lake’s name for American users.
MapQuest’s stance saw them rewarded with a major spike in downloads, now more than 1.5 million in under a week, according to the company’s general manager Doug Berger. They remain the No.1 app overall on the U.S. and Canadian Apple App Store on Wednesday.
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.
Speaking to Erin Burnett on Wednesday’s OutFront, Berger said the major rise in downloads and installations of their app has been “completely shocking,” adding, “What a ride so far!”
The reaction follows a new Reuters/Ipsos poll 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.
Burnett asked the MapQuest boss if people were actually using the maps, or merely downloading it as a protest against Trump’s latest rebrand.
“Usage is through the roof,” Berger said, saying while there was no data to share at this point, they were monitoring screenshots of the app posted to social media.
“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.”
MapQuest was launched in 1996 as the first commercial web mapping service. The president’s son, Eric, quickly clapped back after the X post signaling its decision to not change the name to please his father.
“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.
“Everybody has fond memories of printing out directions back in the day,” he said. He added, “We’ve been there all along, and [we’re] excited to reintroduce the brand to people.”
Referencing Apple and Google changing their maps to keep the president happy, Burnett also directly asked Berger what he would say if Trump reached out to him personally, as he did to Apple.
Deflecting, Berger said, “You know, we’re fully committed to our users right now, and the users are... showing what they believe in with by downloading our app.”
He 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. And... it’s fun that we’re talking about geography.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and MapQuest for comment.
