President Donald Trump has reportedly attempted to rename the Atlantic Ocean as the “Trump Ocean,” but claims Google CEO Sundar Pichai rejected the idea. Speaking at a rally in Pendleton, South Carolina, Trump said he had contacted Google Maps about the change, which Pichai allegedly shut down, citing the ocean’s international scope.
Trump also suggested renaming the Pacific Ocean the “American Ocean,” though no part of Europe borders it. This isn’t the first time he’s proposed such changes. Earlier this year, he signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America, despite Canada’s opposition.
Google Maps has previously adopted Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for U.S. users, but the move sparked legal action from Mexico. The company also updated Lake Ontario’s name for U.S. users, though Canadian users still see the original name.
According to a Congressional Research Service report, renaming an ocean would be far more complex than renaming a lake or gulf, as it involves multiple countries. Google did not respond to requests for comment on Trump’s latest proposal.