Trump Reportedly Asks Google to Rename the Atlantic; Pichai Balks at Renaming Oceans

What happened

Trump told a midterm election rally in Pendleton, South Carolina, that he had asked Google to rename the Atlantic Ocean. He said Google CEO Sundar Pichai refused. Pichai told him that oceans are different because they cross many countries. Trump said he will probably drop the idea. He also said he wants to call the Pacific Ocean the "American Ocean."

Key facts

• Trump signed an order on January 20, 2025, to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America."
• In February 2025, Google changed its U.S. maps to show "Gulf of America."
• On August 27, 2026, Trump signed an order to rename Lake Ontario, which is shared by the U.S. and Canada, "Lake America."
• On August 29, 2026, Google said it would change the name on its U.S. maps.

Background

Trump has been renaming U.S. places. Google follows official government name lists, such as the GNIS database run by the U.S. Geological Survey. For places that have different names in different countries, Google shows different names depending on where the user is.

Why it matters

This shows how a U.S. president's wishes can reach big tech companies. It also shows the limits: Google said no to renaming an ocean that touches many countries. Map names can affect how people see the world, so these choices draw attention.

What to watch

• Whether Trump follows through on renaming the Pacific Ocean.
• Whether Google changes any other map names in the U.S.
• How other countries react to name changes that affect shared waters.