Trump says Google CEO refused to rename Atlantic Ocean on Maps

At a South Carolina rally, Trump recounted a call with Sundar Pichai that ended with the Google chief declining to change the ocean’s name.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 22 Oct 2026 22:37:17 GMT

President Donald Trump told a rally in Clemson, South Carolina, that he asked Google CEO Sundar Pichai to rename the Atlantic Ocean on Google Maps and was told no.

What happened

During the Tuesday evening event, Trump said he had "seriously looked at" renaming the Atlantic Ocean and called Pichai to inquire whether Google Maps could accommodate the change. He quoted the CEO responding, "No, no, no — this time I’m not doing it… Oceans are different, sir. They cover really a lot of countries. Please don’t ask us to do that." Trump added that he would likely abandon the effort after the conversation. Google’s representatives did not reply to requests for comment.

What the reports add

Variety reported the rally remarks and the alleged phone exchange, noting that Trump previously succeeded in having Google and Apple rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and Lake Ontario to Lake America. Mashable echoed the rally speech and cited the Washington Post as the source for the quoted phone dialogue, adding that Trump described Google Maps as "really great with the lake" after the earlier renamings.

What was said

"So we have a lake. And we have a gulf. Now we need a river, and we need an ocean," Trump told the crowd, as reported by Variety.
"I said, ‘Sundar, I’m thinking of the Atlantic Ocean. Can you handle it?’" Trump recalled, per Variety.
According to the Washington Post, as referenced by Mashable, Pichai replied, "No, no, no — this time I’m not doing it… Oceans are different, sir. They cover really a lot of countries. Please don’t ask us to do that."

How it came about

Trump’s push follows a series of name changes he has championed, including the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and Lake Ontario to Lake America, which sparked public backlash and a surge in alternative map‑app downloads (Felo coverage). The Atlantic Ocean request represents the latest effort in this pattern of symbolic renamings.

Key facts

Trump said he called Sundar Pichai to ask about renaming the Atlantic Ocean on Google Maps (variety.com)
Pichai allegedly responded that Google would not rename the ocean, citing its coverage of many countries (variety.com)
Trump previously succeeded in having Google and Apple rename the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario (mashable.com)