Trump Says Google CEO Rejected Atlantic Ocean Renaming Request
publishers 28articles 30first reported 22 Oct, 09:22 UTCdeveloping since 22 Oct · 11 editions
President Donald Trump said Google CEO Sundar Pichai rejected a request to rename the Atlantic Ocean on Google Maps, prompting Trump to say he would probably abandon the proposal.
Speaking Wednesday at a rally in Clemson, South Carolina, Trump said he had considered applying either his name or “America” to the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean. He recounted asking Pichai whether Google could “handle” changing the Atlantic’s name after the company altered other geographic labels for U.S. users.
According to Trump’s account, Pichai replied, “No, no, no. This time I’m not doing it,” and said oceans were different because they cover or border many countries. Trump then told the crowd, “I think let’s keep it the Atlantic Ocean.” Google had not publicly confirmed the conversation, and several outlets said the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Google Maps previously adopted “Gulf of America” for U.S. users after Trump ordered the federal government to use that name for the Gulf of Mexico. It also displays “Lake America” for Lake Ontario to users in the United States following another executive order, while users in Canada and elsewhere continue to see the original lake name.
Trump also floated calling the Pacific Ocean the “American Ocean,” though he did not announce a formal renaming action.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 30 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 28
- Source articles
- 30
- Given to the writer
- 8, 5 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 30 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →