Donald Trump suggests renaming Atlantic or Pacific Ocean ‘Trump Ocean’

US President Donald Trump has suggested renaming either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean the “Trump Ocean” or the “Ocean of the Americas” during a rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Saturday, 10 October.

Speaking to supporters, Trump said the United States needed an ocean and a major river to rename, following his administration’s previous efforts to change the names of major geographical landmarks. His remarks prompted laughter and applause from the crowd.

“We need a river, we need an ocean. So, I was thinking of either the Atlantic or the Pacific,” Trump said, adding that the names could be “Trump Ocean” or “Ocean of the Americas”.

Trump also reiterated that he did not intend to rename the Hudson River or the Mississippi River. Referring to the Mississippi, he said he had a particular fondness for the state of Mississippi because of his electoral success there.

The comments follow Trump’s earlier efforts to change the names of prominent bodies of water. In January 2025, he signed an executive order directing the US government to use “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” in federal communications and official records.

In August 2026, Trump also announced an executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America”. The move affected the US government’s official naming conventions, although the lake’s name is not necessarily recognised in the same way by Canada, which shares its shoreline.

Trump first raised the possibility of renaming the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean during an executive order signing ceremony in August. His latest comments revived the suggestion, although he did not announce a formal executive action to rename either ocean during Saturday’s rally.

While the US government can determine the names used on its own official maps and records, it cannot compel other countries or international organisations to adopt the same names. Any proposed change to an internationally recognised geographical name would therefore face the challenge of gaining wider acceptance.

The remarks form part of Trump’s broader efforts to change the names of geographical landmarks during his presidency. His administration has also restored the name Mount McKinley for North America’s tallest mountain, reversing the 2015 federal decision to use Denali, the name long associated with Alaska Native heritage.

For now, the proposed “Trump Ocean” remains a suggestion rather than an announced official name change. Trump has not outlined a formal process or timeline for renaming either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.