US President Donald Trump has floated the idea of renaming either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean as ‘Trump Ocean’ or ‘Ocean of the Americas,’ extending his push to put an American imprint on geographical names.
Trump made the remarks during a campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Saturday, October 10, while speaking ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
“We need a river. We need an ocean,” Trump told the crowd, suggesting that either of the two oceans could be given a new name. “We call it ‘Trump Ocean’ or ‘Ocean of the Americas,’ something like that,” he said, drawing laughter and applause, The Washington Post reported.
Trump’s comments came after he referred to his earlier decisions to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and Lake Ontario as Lake America. According to The Washington Post, the US President also suggested that he wanted an ocean and a major river to be renamed before leaving office.
“Before I get out, I think we should have an ocean. And we need a great river,” Trump said, according to the newspaper.
A report by Fox News suggests that Trump floated the idea during a wide-ranging rally that combined campaign appeals with remarks on the economy, foreign policy and his administration’s domestic agenda. Musician Kid Rock opened the rally before Trump addressed the crowd.
TRUMP’S EARLIER RENAMING MOVES
Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America last year, a move that sparked diplomatic tensions with Mexico and a dispute with the Associated Press over the use of the new name.
The news agency refused to adopt the name universally, prompting a legal battle with the administration over access to presidential events, The Washington Post reported.
In August, Trump also renamed Lake Ontario, which lies between the US state of New York and Canada, as Lake America. The move came amid tensions with Canadian leaders over trade and tariffs, the newspaper said.
The President has also floated the idea of renaming the US state of New Mexico as ‘New America’. Last month, he suggested the change, although he later said it would be up to the state’s residents to decide whether to pursue it.
“I’m not going to push it, but a lot of people like it a lot,” Trump said in a video endorsing a Republican congressional candidate in New Mexico, according to The Washington Post.
TRUMP RULES OUT RENAMING TWO RIVERS
During Saturday’s rally, Trump indicated that he would not seek to rename the Hudson River, which runs through New York and is named after explorer Henry Hudson.
He also ruled out changing the name of the Mississippi River, which forms part of Tennessee’s western boundary. He cited his electoral performance in the state while explaining his affinity for the existing name.
“I love Mississippi. We won that state by so much,” he said.
NO FORMAL PROPOSAL TO RENAME AN OCEAN
Trump’s remarks about renaming the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean were made in a rally setting, and he did not announce a formal proposal to change either ocean’s name. Fox News reported that he raised the idea while discussing the Gulf of America and suggesting that the US should have an ocean named after it.
According to The Washington Post, the President can use executive authority to rename bodies of water and other geographical features. Online mapping companies have generally adopted the new names introduced by his administration.
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