Full Breakdown
Trump Proposes Renaming an Ocean After Himself
By Drooid · · How we work
The Proposal at a South Carolina Rally
President Donald Trump told supporters at a rally in South Carolina that he had asked Google CEO Sundar Pichai whether the company could rename either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean as the “Trump Ocean.” Trump said Pichai declined, noting that oceans span many countries. He then asked the crowd whether the Atlantic should keep its name, receiving a positive response. Google has not publicly confirmed that the conversation took place.
Prior Geographic Renamings
Trump’s suggestion follows two earlier executive actions. In January 2025, he signed an order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” for U.S. federal use; Google updated its maps for U.S. users while the original name remained elsewhere. In August 2026, he signed another order changing Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” which Google also reflected for U.S. users. At the same rally, Trump mentioned a desire to add a river to the list of renamed features.
Official Responses
Google’s mapping policy states that name changes are incorporated only when recorded in official government sources such as the U.S. Geographic Names Information System. The company declined to comment on the alleged discussion with Trump. Newsweek’s outreach to the White House for comment also went unanswered.
Criticism from Commentators
Commentators have framed the proposal as a distraction from pressing economic concerns. Other online critics echoed similar sentiment, questioning the relevance of renaming vast international waters ahead of the midterm elections.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We seriously looked at the Atlantic Ocean, I called Google Maps who were really great with the lake, really great and I spoke to a brilliant guy, Sundar, he heads all of Google, he's a brilliant guy, Sergey and Sundar, totally brilliant guys,” — Donald Trump, president
- “And I said Sundar I'm thinking of the Atlantic Ocean can you handle it?” — Donald Trump, president
- “We've got the Gulf, we've got a beautiful lake, and now somebody said, 'You need a river,'” — Donald Trump, president