Trump Claims Google CEO Rejected Request to Rename Atlantic Ocean

Donald Trump stated that Google CEO Sundar Pichai refused his request to rename the Atlantic Ocean. The president shared this anecdote during a campaign rally in South Carolina on October 21, 2026, where he was supporting Republican candidates for the upcoming midterm elections. According to Trump’s account, he personally called Pichai to propose changing the name of the Atlantic on Google Maps, similar to previous changes he had implemented for other geographic features.

The Conversation

Trump described the interaction as follows: he told Pichai, "Sundar, I'm thinking about the Atlantic Ocean. Can you take care of that?" He reported that Pichai responded with a firm refusal, stating, "No, no, no. This time I'm not doing it. Oceans are different, sir. They cover a lot of countries. Please don't ask us to do that." Following this rejection, Trump indicated he would likely abandon the idea for the Atlantic, though he reiterated interest in renaming the Pacific Ocean as the "American Ocean" or "Trump Ocean."

Context and Precedent

This incident follows a series of executive actions by Trump to rename U.S. geographic entities. In 2025, he ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be officially designated as the "Gulf of America" in federal records. Subsequently, in August 2026, an executive order renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America" within U.S. territory. Reports indicate that Google Maps has begun displaying these new names for users in the United States, often retaining traditional names in parentheses.

• Previous Renamings: The Gulf of Mexico is now the "Gulf of America," and Lake Ontario is "Lake America" in U.S. federal contexts.
• Google's Role: While Google incorporated these specific changes, they have not confirmed whether the call with Trump actually occurred.
• Political Climate: The remarks come as Trump faces low approval ratings, with recent polls showing 33% approval and 66% disapproval.

Google did not publicly confirm the conversation or respond to media inquiries regarding the alleged call.