Donald Trump asked Google to handle the Atlantic Ocean. He claims Sundar Pichai gave him a simple warning: ‘oceans are different, sir’
Stamp of refusal
At a South Carolina rally on Wednesday, surrounded by supporters, President Donald Trump declared he liked only two oceans: the Pacific and the Atlantic. He also revealed that he had attempted to rename at least one of them, adding “Trump” or “America,” but failed.
Trump said he called Pichai to ask that the Atlantic Ocean be renamed, but mentioned that he showed reluctance. Trump said, “I called Google Maps, who were really great with the lake and really great. And I spoke to a brilliant guy, Sundar. He heads all of Google. He’s a brilliant guy.”
Trump recalled telling Pichai, “I said, ‘Sundar, I’m thinking of the Atlantic Ocean. Can you handle it?’” Pichai allegedly responded, “‘No, no, no. This time I’m not doing it.’ He said…’oceans are different, sir. You know, they cover … really a lot of countries. Please don’t ask us to do that.’” Toward the end of the approximately one-minute video shared widely on social media, Trump asked his supporters whether he should give up on his efforts to rename the water body.
Pichai had previously conceded to Trump’s renaming efforts
During his speech, Trump also referred to his earlier renaming efforts. He cited Lake Ontario and the Gulf of Mexico, which have since been renamed Lake America and the Gulf of America, respectively.
However, the situation is more complicated than it seems. On Google Maps, users in the United States will see the locations labeled as “Gulf of America” and “Lake America.” However, search results show the new names alongside the original in parentheses. Meanwhile, users in Mexico and Canada still see the original names.
Some of the things Trump has renamed since last year
Some of Trump’s actions during his second term as president of the United States have drawn intense bipartisan criticism, including his taxpayer-funded ads. His tendency to rename places of immense sociocultural and political importance has also come under heavy scrutiny.
In January 2025, shortly after taking office, Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. Over a year later, in August 2026, he followed a similar path and renamed Lake Ontario Lake America.
In December 2025, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after its board of trustees voted to do so. The board initially added Trump’s name to the building’s facade but later removed it. The main building is currently closed for renovations, and it remains unclear whether Trump’s name will appear on it when it reopens.
In January 2026, Southern Boulevard, a long road leading to Trump’s Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago estate, was renamed President Donald J. Trump Boulevard. Although the official name was unveiled this year, efforts were made as early as 2025.
In July 2026, the name of Palm Beach International Airport was officially changed to President Donald J. Trump International Airport. Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation to enact the renaming.
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