President Donald Trump unveiled a new nickname for Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell (D) after the Democratic congresswoman criticized his decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.”
Trump referred to Dingell as “Debbie Dingbat” in a weekend Truth Social post while revisiting his past interactions with her and her late husband, longtime Michigan Rep. John Dingell.
The attack came amid a broader dispute over Trump’s Aug. 27 executive order officially directing the federal government to use “Lake America” in place of Lake Ontario.
Executive Order 14422 instructed the Interior Department and US Board on Geographic Names to update federal records, maps and communications with the new name. The change governs US government usage and does not require Canada to adopt the designation.
Google and Apple subsequently changed their mapping services for US users to display “Lake America.” Canadian users continue to see Lake Ontario, while some international users are shown both names.
Dingell quickly emerged as one of the congressional Democrats seeking to reverse the decision.
On Aug. 31, Dingell joined New York Reps. Tim Kennedy (D) and Joe Morelle (D) in introducing the “Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act.”
The legislation would prohibit the federal government from renaming any of the five Great Lakes, nullify Trump’s executive order and prevent federal funding from being used to implement a similar change.
“The Great Lakes are a shared treasure that generations of Americans and Canadians have worked together to protect,” Dingell said while announcing the legislation.
She has also criticized the renaming as a distraction from economic concerns surrounding the administration’s trade dispute with Canada.
Trump responded Saturday by shifting the focus to Dingell’s relationship with him following her husband’s death in 2019.
“Upon his death, I gave Congressman John Dingell, the Royal Sendoff, MAXED OUT!” Trump wrote.
Trump then claimed Dingell thanked him emotionally for the honors provided following her husband’s death.
“His wife, Debbie Dingbat, called me and thanked me profusely, while crying uncontrollably,” Trump wrote.
He went on to accuse Dingell of repeatedly criticizing him despite that interaction.
“Since then, she says nothing but bad about your favorite President, ME!” Trump wrote, later referring to the congresswoman as a “Third Rate Loser.”
Trump said he remained surprised by the criticism because he considered himself loyal to people he had previously helped.
“That’s OK — It’s Politics. However, it shouldn’t be that way!” he concluded.
John Dingell died in February 2019 at age 92 after serving more than 59 years in the House, making him the longest-serving member of Congress in US history at the time of his death, per Trending Politics.
Trump ordered flags at the White House and other federal buildings lowered to half-staff following Dingell’s death.
The president’s latest remarks reopen a long-running feud with Debbie Dingell, who has repeatedly clashed with Trump during his years in national politics.
The dispute now centers on one of Trump’s latest geographic renaming efforts.
His Lake America order followed an earlier push to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” another change adopted for US users by several major digital mapping services.
The Lake Ontario decision has also become entangled with escalating US-Canada trade tensions. Trump imposed new 50 percent tariffs on roughly $20 billion in Canadian goods after negotiations between the two countries deteriorated, while Canada announced retaliatory measures.
Canadian leaders have rejected the Lake America designation, maintaining that the body of water remains Lake Ontario.
Meanwhile, Dingell’s bill remains before the House Committee on Natural Resources after being introduced Aug. 31.
The legislative battle now gives the personal feud between Trump and Dingell another front, with the president’s newly coined “Debbie Dingbat” nickname adding another layer to their increasingly public clash.
