Donald Trump has revealed that he asked Google to rename the Atlantic Ocean after himself, only to be refused by the company's CEO. Speaking at a rally, the President said he suggested changing the name to 'Trump Ocean' but was turned down by Sundar Pichai.
'I called Google Maps to change the name of the Atlantic Ocean to Trump Ocean,' Trump told the crowd. 'Sundar said, “No, no, no.” He said, “Please don’t ask us to do that.” Sundar said, “No, no, no. This time I’m not doing it.” He said, “Oceans are different, sir. They cover a lot of countries. Please don’t ask us to do that.”' The audience laughed as Trump recounted the exchange.
President's Naming Ambitions
This is not the first time Trump has sought to put his name on geographical features. He has previously attempted to rename the Gulf of Mexico and one of the Great Lakes. Earlier this year, Palm Beach International Airport was renamed after the 45th and 47th President, adding to a growing list of projects bearing the Trump brand.
Historian and propaganda analyst Dr Ian Garner commented on Trump's pattern of branding, saying it combines his '20th-century strongman ego and a 21st-century reality TV personality'. He added: 'For Trump, I don’t think this is about legacy. I think this is about ego in the here and now. His ego needs to be fed by approval, by fame, by reception, by applause. Today, he’s not thinking about the future.'
Ego Projects and Legacy
Dr Garner noted that Trump's name and face appear on a wide range of items, from 'Trump burgers, Trump University, Trump money, Trump crypto coins, to gigantic arts institutions'. He described these as 'low-effort' ego projects, stating: 'He just wants to feel this adulation from the crowds today. It’s very superficial.'
There have also been efforts to place Trump's signature on all new US dollar bills, which would be a first for a sitting president, and to include his image on a gold commemorative coin celebrating the country's founding.
