Trump Says Google Rejected Request to Rename Atlantic Ocean
Google Rejected Proposal to Rename Atlantic Ocean Trump Ocean
“No, no, no, this time I’m not doing it,” Donald Trump said, recounting a conversation with Google CEO Sundar Pichai during a rally in South Carolina, according to The Guardian.
President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2026, that Google rejected his request to rename the Atlantic Ocean after himself or America. Speaking in Clemson, South Carolina, Trump told supporters that he had contacted Pichai to ask if the technology company could handle the proposed designation.
According to Trump, the Google executive pushed back against the idea because oceans span multiple countries. “Oceans are different, sir. They cover a lot of countries. Please don’t ask us to do that,” Trump said, quoting Pichai’s response.
The proposal followed previous executive actions and map updates where Google altered geographic labels for U.S. users. In January 2025, an executive order directed the federal designation of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, followed by an August 2026 push that required federal agencies to use Lake America for Lake Ontario.
Google subsequently updated its navigation service for users within the United States. The platform displays the altered names while retaining original designations for international audiences, reflecting data from the Geographic Names Information System maintained by the United States Geological Survey.
Earlier Ocean Renaming Remarks in Tennessee
Weeks before the South Carolina event, Trump floated the concept of rebranding a major body of water during an Oct. 10, 2026, rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, as reported by USA Today.
“We’ve got the gulf. We’ve got a beautiful lake,” Trump told supporters in Tennessee, adding that he believed the administration needed to designate an ocean and a river before he got out. During that appearance, he suggested “Trump Ocean” or “Ocean of the Americas” as potential monikers for either the Atlantic or the Pacific.
Trump also previously suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz to “Trump Strait” in a Truth Social post amid the US’s ongoing war with Iran, as noted by Newsweek.
International Limits of Presidential Naming Directives
While a U.S. president possesses the authority to direct how federal agencies refer to geographic features, those directives carry no binding weight internationally. The Atlantic and Pacific oceans border multiple countries, and no international authority could require other countries to adopt a new U.S.-designated name.
President Trump said he called Google Maps and asked to rename the Atlantic Ocean.“No, no, no. This time I'm not doing it … oceans are different, sir," Google CEO Sundar Pichai replied, Trump said at a rally in South Carolina. The president said he was told the company would… pic.twitter.com/Sn2p7Idzmn”
Domestically, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names oversees federal feature standardization under established guidelines. Founded in 1890 and reorganized by Congress in 1947, the board typically discourages alterations without a compelling reason and maintains policies restricting the naming of geographic features after living individuals.
Following Pichai’s refusal, Trump indicated he would likely drop the ocean-renaming initiative. “So I’ll probably pass. Should I pass it?” Trump asked the South Carolina audience. “I think let’s keep it the Atlantic Ocean.” Google has not publicly confirmed the conversation.
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President Donald Trump says Google rejected his request to rename the Atlantic Ocean on Google Maps:• Trump said he “seriously looked at” renaming the Atlantic Ocean and called Google CEO Sundar Pichai to ask whether Google Maps would reflect the name change.“I said,… pic.twitter.com/m01NfyUU93”