During a rally ahead of the midterm elections, President Donald J. Trump floated the idea of renaming the Atlantic Ocean. Trump stated, 'I called Google Maps to change the name of the Atlantic Ocean to Trump Ocean. Sundar said, No, no, no.' This proposal was part of Trump's ongoing efforts to rename major geographical features. He also discussed the potential renaming of the Strait of Hormuz. During the rally, he remarked, 'So we seriously looked at the Atlantic Ocean, and I called Google Maps, who were really great with the lake.' Trump spoke about his interaction with Google CEO Sundar Pichai: 'And I spoke to a brilliant guy, Sundar. He heads all of Google. He's a brilliant guy,' Trump said. 'And I said, Sundar, I'm thinking of the Atlantic Ocean. Can you handle it?' According to Trump, Pichai was reluctant to support the change. Pichai reportedly responded: 'Ocean's a difference, sir. You know, they cover a lot of... They cover really a lot of countries. Please don't ask us to do that.' Trump also joked about how European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, might react. While Trump described Pichai as a 'great guy,' the Google CEO ultimately vetoed the request to rename the Atlantic Ocean to either 'Trump Ocean' or the 'American Ocean.' The incident highlights the challenges faced when dealing with international waters and the influence of tech companies over digital mapping.
