President Trump claimed at a rally in South Carolina that he called Google CEO Sundar Pichai to ask whether Google Maps could "handle" renaming the Atlantic Ocean. According to Trump, Pichai's response was reportedly, "Please don't ask us to do that," and Google's compliance finally hit a limit. "No, no, no, this time I'm not doing it," Trump quoted the CEO as saying. "Oceans are different, sir." The stated rationale was that oceans "cover a lot of countries." Critics note that the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario also touch multiple countries, three and two respectively.
Trump said he would "probably pass" on the Atlantic but floated renaming the Pacific Ocean "the American Ocean" instead. He also weighed using "Trump" or "America" for either ocean. Google has already relabeled the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for US users in early 2025, following Trump's executive order, and did the same to Lake Ontario in the US this August, where it now reads as "Lake America." Apple followed suit in both cases.
The report argues that these changes show how far Big Tech will go when tariff exemptions, regulatory favors and government contracts are at stake. The story also points to broader economic strain, with inflation rising, gas at $4.27 a gallon and diesel at $6.31, according to AAA.
The article also notes that the Iran war has now lasted 236 days, despite Trump suggesting in March that it could be over in four to five weeks. With the midterms less than two weeks away, the piece wryly observes that the president remains focused on the real issues. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the story will be updated if it does.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing