Trump floats renaming the Atlantic 'American Ocean' and promises the Mississippi River keeps its name

A fresh push on the Atlantic

Speaking at a Republican rally in Corinth, Mississippi, on Monday, 26 October, Donald Trump said he was considering renaming the Atlantic Ocean the 'American Ocean'. He argued that the country already had a gulf and a lake and now needed a river and an ocean. He added that Europe would be delighted by the idea, a remark that drew applause from the crowd. The speech came before thousands of attendees and was one of a series of campaign events he has been holding ahead of the November midterm elections.

The Mississippi River stays put

Trump promised the crowd that he would not rename the Mississippi River, which runs through the state, and he described such a change as a terrible idea. He then mocked his own announcement style, imagining how he would introduce a new name for the river before admitting he was in a tricky spot in Mississippi. Residents of the state appeared to fear they might lose the river, and Trump's promise was aimed at reassuring them. The Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario have already been renamed, while the river remains untouched.

The 'Trump Ocean' episode

The earlier proposal came in the week of 19 October 2026, when Trump floated naming the Atlantic the 'Trump Ocean'. In his own account, he phoned Google to ask that Google Maps adopt the change, but chief executive Sundar Pichai refused. Trump said Pichai argued that oceans are different from gulfs and lakes because they span many countries, and asked Trump not to make the request. Trump then told a rally in South Carolina that the Atlantic name should simply stay, and appeared to drop the idea. He returned to the topic on Monday, 26 October, with the 'American Ocean' name instead.

Earlier renamings and map services

The renaming campaign began in January 2025, when Trump ordered the Gulf of Mexico renamed the Gulf of America, a move that met strong opposition. Lake Ontario, which lies on the border with Canada, followed and was renamed Lake America in federal documents amid the trade war between the two countries. Canada, and earlier Mexico, did not accept the new names, yet Apple and Google adopted them in their mapping apps. The new names are used for official federal purposes.

So far nothing has come of the Atlantic plan, and the ocean still carries its original name on maps.

Midterm backdrop

The rally was part of Trump's campaign for the midterm elections on 3 November, in which he has been taking part in one or more rallies a day. Notícias ao Minuto notes that his frequent appearances follow poor results for Republicans in several polls. Those polls point to Republicans losing their narrow control of the House of Representatives, with rising living costs, Trump's unpopularity and the war against Iran cited as reasons. All 435 House seats and a third of the Senate are up for election, and Democrats could also contest the Senate. The Atlantic remarks therefore came at a time when Republicans are trailing in the polls.