Trump Suggests Renaming Atlantic or Pacific Ocean 'Trump Ocean'
The former president floated the idea at a rally in Tennessee, continuing a pattern of renaming geographical landmarks.
During a rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, former President Donald Trump suggested renaming either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean to 'Trump Ocean' or 'Ocean of the Americas.' The remarks drew cheers from supporters at the Make America Great Again (MAGA) rally.
Trump indicated he wanted to rename a major geographical feature before leaving the White House, noting previous instances where he altered the names of significant bodies of water. He mentioned rechristening the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' and Lake Ontario as 'Lake America.'
"So we need a river and we need an ocean, so I was thinking of either the Atlantic or the Pacific," Trump told the crowd. "We'll call it Trump Ocean or Ocean of the Americas."
He also stated that while he was considering new names for oceans and rivers, some landmarks would remain untouched. Specifically, he ruled out changing the names of the Hudson River and the Mississippi River.
This proposal follows a trend of Trump's administration renaming American geographical landmarks. Shortly after his second inauguration, federal agencies were directed to use 'Gulf of America' instead of 'Gulf of Mexico.' This change sparked international attention due to the Gulf's borders with Mexico and Cuba.
In August, Trump announced his intention to rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America.' He demonstrated the change by crossing out the original name on a map with a Sharpie and writing 'LAKE AMERICA.'
Additionally, Trump reversed a decision made by the Obama administration by restoring the name Mount McKinley to North America's tallest mountain. The mountain had officially been known as Denali since 2015, a name used by Alaska Native communities and significant to their culture. Restoring the McKinley name reignited a dispute over which historical figure the mountain should commemorate.