Full Breakdown
Cleveland City Council Satirically Renames Part of Lake Erie “Gulf of Cleveland”
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
In September 2026, Cleveland City Council adopted Resolution 1047-2026, designating a stretch of Lake Erie that runs from the city’s easternmost to its westernmost shoreline and extends two miles inland as the “Gulf of Cleveland.” The measure passed with a 13-1 vote. The resolution directs all city departments to use the new name in official documents and maps and instructs the council to forward the change to major digital-mapping services such as Apple and Google.
Background & Context
The resolution is a direct, satirical response to President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders that renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” Trump’s naming spree has also included proposals to rename New Mexico as “New America” and the Strait of Hormuz as the “Trump Strait.” Media outlets and comedy shows have echoed the trend, with “South Park” announcing a temporary rebrand to “South America.”
Data & Statistics
- Vote tally: 13 in favor, 1 against.
- Geographic scope: the designated “Gulf” spans the full length of Cleveland’s shoreline on Lake Erie and reaches two miles into the lake.
- No budget allocation: council member Kris Harsh confirmed the city will not spend money on the change.
- Mapping outreach: the resolution calls for notifications to Apple, Google, federal and state agencies, and other map-making entities.
Official Statements & Responses
He emphasized that the act is symbolic, saying the city does not expect any physical signage or spending beyond the resolution itself. A city-spokesperson reiterated that the council will forward the request to Apple and Google but acknowledged that, as of the following day, neither company had updated its maps. Harsh also remarked that the effort is meant to highlight how “words don’t matter, but the whims of powerful white men like me do,” underscoring the satirical intent.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on whether Apple and Google have already applied the “Gulf of Cleveland” label. Some reports state the companies have updated their maps in line with previous Trump-initiated name changes, while others confirm that, at the time of reporting, the new name had not appeared on either platform. No independent verification of the mapping updates has been provided.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Words don’t matter, but the whims of powerful white men like me do,” — Kris Harsh
- “I thought, if this is just going to race to the bottom, let’s just jump to the end of the line and see what’s the dumbest thing we can come up with,” — Kris Harsh
- “I feel emboldened to take the extraordinary step of renaming Lake Erie as the Gulf of Cleveland,” — Kris Harsh
- “Some people will say, ‘Kris, it’s not even a gulf, it’s a lake’! And to that I say, Who cares?” — Kris Harsh
What’s Next
Cleveland officials plan to mail formal requests to Apple, Google, and other cartographic agencies, urging them to reflect the “Gulf of Cleveland” on digital maps. The council has indicated that the resolution will remain on the city’s record “now and forever,” but no further legislative action or funding is anticipated.