Trump wanted the Atlantic Ocean renamed ‘Trump Ocean’. Sundar Pichai explained why Google could not do it

US President Donald Trump said he asked Google CEO Sundar Pichai if the Atlantic Ocean could be renamed, but Pichai told him the company could not do it because the ocean borders several countries, Business Insider reported on Thursday.

At a rally in South Carolina on Wednesday, Trump said he had considered putting his name or “America” on one of the two oceans bordering the US.

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

Trump recalls conversation with Pichai

Trump said he spoke to Pichai about changing the name on Google Maps.

“I spoke to a brilliant guy, Sundar. He heads all of Google,” Trump said, referring to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. He also praised Google cofounder Sergey Brin, calling both men “totally brilliant guys” and joking that they were “still rattled from the Gulf.”

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

He quoted Pichai as replying, “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.”

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“So I'll probably pass,” Trump told the crowd. “Should I pass it?” He then answered himself: “I think let's keep it the Atlantic Ocean.”

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump has suggested other name changes

Trump had previously floated the idea of renaming the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean. At a Tennessee rally in early October, he suggested “Trump Ocean” or “Ocean of the Americas”.

He has also discussed calling New Mexico “New America” and renaming the Strait of Hormuz the “Trump Strait”.

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Google previously changed its US labels for the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario to the Gulf of America and Lake America after executive orders from Trump.

Users in Mexico and Canada still see the original names for the gulf and lake. Users in the rest of the world see the original names followed by Trump’s new names in brackets.

For now, the Atlantic Ocean will keep its name.