Trump Says Google CEO Pushed Back on Atlantic Rename Request
WHO:
Variety - President Donald Trump said he wanted to rename the Atlantic Ocean.
Techmeme - The article, credited to Victoria Craw / Washington Post, reports that Trump called Google CEO Sundar Pichai about renaming the Atlantic Ocean on Google Maps.
WHAT:
The Guardian - Trump said Google CEO Sundar Pichai told him oceans were different because they “cover … a lot of countries,” and asked him not to pursue the rename.
The Guardian - Trump said, “I think let’s keep it the Atlantic Ocean.”
The Guardian - Trump said he would not put “either Trump or America on any other ocean” besides the Atlantic and Pacific.
The Guardian - Trump referenced his executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and his push to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America; he also signed an executive order requiring U.S. federal agencies to use the Lake America name.
Variety - Trump said Google’s CEO pushed back on his idea to rename the Atlantic Ocean.
Techmeme - Trump said he would “probably pass” on the rename request after Pichai’s pushback.
Variety - Trump said he had already renamed two bodies of water after America.
WHERE:
Variety - Trump spoke at a rally at Clemson University in South Carolina.
WHY:
Techmeme - Trump said he would “probably pass” on renaming the Atlantic Ocean following Pichai’s pushback.
HOW:
The Guardian - Google Maps displays “Gulf of America” and “Lake America” for U.S. users, with the original names in parentheses in search results; users in Mexico and Canada continue to see the original names.
Techmeme - Trump said he called Pichai to discuss asking Google Maps to rename the Atlantic Ocean.
Variety - Trump made his remarks to the crowd at the Clemson University rally.
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 20:14 UTC)
President Trump says he will probably abandon his idea of renaming the Atlantic Ocean after Google CEO Sundar Pichai pushed back. Speaking at a rally at Clemson University in South Carolina, Trump said he called Pichai about changing the name on Google Maps. He said Pichai explained that oceans cover many countries and asked him not to pursue the change. Trump then said, “I think let’s keep it the Atlantic Ocean.” He added that he would not put his name or America’s name on any other ocean besides the Atlantic and Pacific. Trump cited his efforts to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and Lake Ontario as Lake America. Google Maps uses those new names for U.S. users, while users in Mexico and Canada continue to see the original names.
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(UPDATED October 22, 2026 17:15 UTC)
President Trump said he would probably abandon his idea to rename the Atlantic Ocean after Google CEO Sundar Pichai pushed back. Speaking at a rally at Clemson University in South Carolina, Trump told the crowd he had called Pichai to discuss changing the ocean’s name on Google Maps. Trump described the conversation as a response to his request that Google make the change. He said Pichai resisted the proposal, prompting him to reconsider. Trump also said he had already renamed two bodies of water after America. He did not identify those waterways in the remarks described here. His comments linked the proposed Atlantic Ocean change to earlier naming decisions, while making clear he was unlikely to pursue this one. The exchange centered on whether Google Maps would reflect the proposed name, but Pichai’s objection appears to have ended Trump’s push.