On Wednesday night, after Google and Apple changed the name of Lake Ontario on their respective maps to Lake America, MS NOW hosts Jonathan Capehart and Ali Velshi proclaimed their newfound love for MapQuest because of the company’s refusal to change the name of the lake to follow a presidential executive order that officially changed the name amid a U.S.-Canada trade war
Capehart introduced the story in the final minutes of The Last Word, as he filled in for the crazed Lawrence O’Donnell. He began, “We have another update to a story we've been tracking all week long. What tech firms are doing with Donald Trump's demand to rename Lake Ontario.”
Capehart continued, “On Monday, we told you Google was first to bow to Trump, changing the name of the Great Lake on its Google Maps app for users in the United States. Then yesterday, Apple bowed to the pressure that came directly from Trump himself, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.”
On Wednesday, MS NOW hosts loved MapQuest for not changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America on their app.
The handoff between The Last Word’s fill-in host Jonathan Capehart and 11th Hour host Ali Velshi praised the company, as Velshi also called Capehart an "honorary… pic.twitter.com/Qgu1U2gB4P— Nick (@nspin310) September 3, 2026
To note, there was an executive order signed by Trump to change the name, which ordered the name to be changed in the Interior Department’s geographic naming service.
Cpaehart then celebrated MapQuest for not changing the name of the lake on its map service:
But there's a holdout, and this company is being rewarded. MS NOW reports “MapQuest has surged in popularity after refusing to update the name in accordance with the president's order. The app now holds the top spot in Apple's App Store in the U.S., TechCrunch first reported.
As The Last Word ended and The 11th Hour with Ali Velshi began, Velshi exclaimed, "You’re going to be an honorary Canadian for staying on top of this story. And literally every night, because of something you say, something else happens. I downloaded MapQuest today. I have to say, between you and me, I wasn't sure MapQuest was still around. I loved MapQuest when it was all the rage.”
Velshi then said the site was “back in my good books,” as he said he “grew up right near Lake Ontario." Velshi continued, “If these guys are going to stick to the right name, I'm going to use them.”
Capehart responded, “Well, right. And you know, to me, Ali, also, when I was growing up, it was Lake Ontario, and I didn't grow up near it at all.”
Velshi closed the show handoff and claimed the MapQuest decision was a matter of “truth” as he praised Capehart: “There you go. You didn't have to have the proximity to know what the truth was.”
Deadline: White House host Nicole Wallace also chimed in:
“I downloaded MapQuest because everyone else seemed to have caved to the most ridiculous Trump requests. It's one thing to ask law firms to capitulate because he's mad at them, it's another to rename Lake Ontario. It's… pic.twitter.com/RklsHll8uO— Nick (@nspin310) September 3, 2026
Earlier in the day, Deadline: White House host Nicole Wallace also chimed in with support of MapQuest.
She exclaimed, “I downloaded MapQuest because everyone else seemed to have caved to the most ridiculous Trump requests. It's one thing to ask law firms to capitulate because he's mad at them, it's another to rename Lake Ontario. It's just autocratic, on top of bleep and stupid.”
Wallace then, laughably, segued from MapQuest love to an election fearmongering conversation with Democratic attorney Marc Elias over mail-in ballots: “What is the thing that people can do to take initiative about what the postal service is doing?”
The transcripts are below. Click "expand":
MS NOW’s The Last Word and 11th Hour
September 3, 2026
10:59:37 PM Eastern
JONATHAN CAPEHART: We have another update to a story we've been tracking all week long. What tech firms are doing with Donald Trump's demand to rename Lake Ontario.
On Monday, we told you Google was first to bow to Trump, changing the name of the Great Lake on its Google Maps app for users in the United States. Then yesterday, Apple bowed to the pressure that came directly from Trump himself, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
But there's a holdout, and this company is being rewarded. MS NOW reports “MapQuest has surged in popularity after refusing to update the name in accordance with the president's order. The app now holds the top spot in Apple's App Store in the U.S., TechCrunch first reported.”
That is tonight's last word. The 11th Hour starts now. Hey, Ali.
ALI VELSHI: You’re going to be an honorary Canadian for staying on top of this story. And literally every night, because of something you say, something else happens. I downloaded MapQuest today. I have to say, between you and me, I wasn't sure MapQuest was still around. I loved MapQuest when it was all the rage.
CAPEHART: Right?
VELSHI: But, back in my good books, because I was born - not born. I grew up right near Lake Ontario. Like, to me, it’s Lake Ontario. If these guys are going to stick to the right name, I'm going to use them.
CAPEHART: Well, right. And you know, to me, Ali, also, when I was growing up, it was Lake Ontario, and I didn't grow up near it at all. [Laughs]
VELSHI: There you go. You didn't have to have the proximity to know what the truth was. Nice to see you, my friend. Thank you, as always.
(...)
MS NOW’s Deadline: White House
September 2, 2026
5:55:08 PM Eastern
NICOLE WALLACE: Marc, I saw Kara Swisher posting about, you know, changing DuckDuckGo to your browser up in Lake Ontario debacle. I downloaded MapQuest because everyone else seemed to have caved to the most ridiculous Trump requests. It's one thing to ask law firms to capitulate because he's mad at them, it's another to rename Lake Ontario. It's just autocratic. On top of bleep and stupid.
What is the thing that people can do to take initiative about what the postal service is doing?
(...)
