Google Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sundar Pichai declined a request from United States (US) President Donald Trump to rename the Atlantic Ocean “Trump Ocean” on Google Maps, according to Trump.
Trump made the claim at a campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia, where he said he contacted Google Maps about the change. He said Pichai refused, telling him oceans span multiple countries and asking him not to make the request.
Trump said he also sent Google an image showing how the new name would appear on the map, but was rejected again. He added that he would likely drop the idea, and suggested jokingly that the Pacific Ocean could be called “American Ocean.”
Earlier this month, at a rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, Trump proposed renaming either the Atlantic or the Pacific “Trump Ocean” or “Ocean of the Americas.” He said he wanted the change made during his administration and ruled out renaming the Hudson River or the Mississippi River.
The request follows earlier efforts by the Trump administration to rename geographical features. After an executive order, Google Maps began showing the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for US users.
This year, it also began displaying Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for US users, while Canadian users still see the original name. Apple Maps made matching changes for US users. Trump is currently holding rallies across the country ahead of next month’s midterm elections.