Trump Says Google CEO Sundar Pichai Discouraged Him From Renaming Atlantic Ocean

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he discussed the possibility of renaming the Atlantic Ocean with Indian American Google CEO Sundar Pichai, but the technology executive discouraged the idea because the ocean borders numerous countries.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Clemson, South Carolina, on Wednesday evening, Trump recounted a conversation with Pichai about changing geographic names on Google Maps, following his administration’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

“So we seriously looked at the Atlantic Ocean, and I called Google Maps, who were really great with the lake,” Trump told supporters.

Trump praised Pichai and Google co-founder Sergey Brin while describing the exchange.

“And I spoke to a brilliant guy, Sundar. He heads all of Google. He’s a brilliant guy. Sergei and Sundar, totally brilliant guys,” Trump said. “And, you know, they’re still rattled from the Gulf.”

According to Trump’s account, he asked Pichai whether Google Maps could accommodate a proposed change to the Atlantic Ocean’s name.

“And I said, Sundar, I’m thinking of the Atlantic Ocean. Can you handle it?” Trump recalled.

He said Pichai responded by pointing out the international complications of renaming an ocean.

“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 quoted Pichai as saying.

Trump then suggested he would abandon the proposal.

“So I’ll probably pass. Should I pass? I think let’s keep it the Atlantic Ocean, right?” he said.

The president also floated the possibility of renaming the Pacific Ocean the American Ocean, joking about how other countries might react.

“We’re going to call it the American Ocean. How do you think Europe would fit?” Trump asked.

Trump said he would consider changing the names of only the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

“I’m not going to put either Trump or America on any other ocean, but these two,” he said.

His comments followed remarks about the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically important waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman that has become a focal point of tensions between the United States and Iran.

“We have a blockade on the Trump Strait. I call it the Trump Strait. How do you think the Arabs would like to be calling it?” Trump told the crowd.

“I mean, we changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico. Why can’t we change this…” he added.

Trump also discussed U.S. military operations against Iran, claiming that American forces had destroyed the country’s nuclear enrichment capabilities through Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury.

He reiterated his position that Iran would never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon and predicted that oil prices would soon decline.

Shortly after returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America for U.S. federal government usage.

Google Maps subsequently adopted the Gulf of America designation for users in the United States, while users in some other countries continued seeing different naming conventions.

Trump also claimed during Wednesday’s rally that he had recently renamed a lake Lake America.

Pichai, who was born in Chennai, India, has maintained regular contact with the Trump administration as Google navigates federal technology policies and investment priorities.

The Google chief executive attended Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025 alongside other prominent technology leaders.

He also participated in a White House dinner for technology executives in September 2025, where discussions included Google’s investments in the United States.

Other Indian American technology leaders, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, have also met with Trump at the White House.

The president’s speech at Clemson’s T. Ed Garrison Arena included several lighter moments, including remarks about First Lady Melania Trump’s reaction to his dancing at political rallies.

Trump said his wife had discouraged him from dancing in public.

“Darling, please, don’t dance. You’re the President of the United States. It’s not presidential,” Trump quoted her as saying.

The rally also included a confrontation involving a heckler who was removed from the venue. Trump praised a supporter who appeared to strike the individual.

“Who is the guy that threw that punch?” Trump asked. “It takes courage to do that in a Trump rally. He got whacked.”

The South Carolina event was part of Trump’s campaign appearances ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, as Republicans and Democrats compete for control of Congress. (Source: IANS)