At a campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, former President Trump proposed renaming either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean to "Trump Ocean" or "Ocean of the Americas." He explained that he has executive authority to direct U.S. geographic naming authorities to adopt different names for federal government use, though other countries and private companies are not required to follow suit. Trump also expressed interest in renaming a great river but ruled out both the Hudson and Mississippi rivers due to historical or political reasons. This proposal is part of his history of renaming geographic features and comes amid efforts to support Republican candidates in upcoming midterm elections.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.15, but all 1 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 73751: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-12
At a rally in Clarksville, Tenn., on Saturday evening, Trump suggested the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean could be renamed in the country’s—or his—honor.
uncertain
Atlantic → suggest → honor
“Before I get out, I think we should have an ocean,” Trump said.
asserted
Trump → get → ocean
“We call it ‘Trump Ocean’ or ‘Ocean of the Americas,’ something like that.”
asserted
We → call → that
The two oceans are international bodies of water that span many countries’ jurisdictions as well as the high seas.
asserted
that → span → seas
The President has executive authority to direct U.S. geographic naming authorities to adopt different names for federal government use, which would make those names the standard across federal agencies.
asserted
names → have → agencies
Other countries and private companies would not be required to follow suit, although private mapping services including Google Maps and Apple Maps have previously changed their official labels for certain geographic features for U.S. users in accordance with Trump’s orders.
asserted
services → require → orders
Trump also said that “we need a great river” to rename, but he ruled out
asserted
he → say → river
“He did a good job of sailing up that sucker a long time ago,” Trump said, referring to explorer Henry Hudson, for whom the river running through Trump’s home state of New York was named.
asserted
river → do → York
Trump said he would leave the Mississippi River’s name alone because of support for him in the state.
asserted
he → say → state
“I love Mississippi.
asserted
I → love → Mississippi
We won that state by so much,” he said.
asserted
he → win → much
Trump appeared at the rally to campaign for Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican candidate for Tennessee governor, and Sen. Bill Hagerty, who is seeking reelection in the November midterm elections.
asserted
who → appear → elections
Turning to the Senate race in Michigan, one of several states that has seen a progressive victory in its Democratic primary, Trump called the Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who is not a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, “Mohammed.”
asserted
who → turn → America
“Somebody said, ‘His name isn’t Mohammed.
asserted
name → say → ?
It’s Abdul,’” Trump said.
asserted
Trump → ’ → ?
“I’m the President.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
I can call him whatever the hell I want.”
asserted
I → call → hell
Trump has shown a fondness for renaming geographic features.
asserted
Trump → show → features
In January 2025, he signed an executive order directing federal agencies to use “Gulf of America” in place of the Gulf of Mexico and restoring “Mount McKinley” as the federal name for Alaska’s highest peak, also known as Denali.
asserted
he → sign → Denali
The renaming of the gulf set off a dispute with Mexico, which argued the U.S. had no authority to rename the entire body of water, part of which lies within Mexico’s jurisdiction.
asserted
part → set → jurisdiction
Mexico later sued Google over its use of “Gulf of America” for U.S. users.
asserted
Mexico → sue → users
“Everyone thinks I kid,” Trump said Saturday about his original proposal to rename the gulf.
asserted
Trump → think → gulf
“Everybody smiled, ‘Oh, that’s so funny.’
asserted
that → smile → ?
I did it, right?
asserted
I → do → it
It’s done.”
asserted
It → do → ?
In August, Trump signed another order directing federal agencies to call Lake Ontario, which borders New York and the Canadian province of Ontario, “Lake America.”
asserted
which → sign → Ontario
The name change came amid an escalating U.S.-Canada tariff war and prompted rebuke from Democratic lawmakers as well as Canadian officials: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the new name, saying Canadians would call it Lake Ontario “then, now and always.”
asserted
Canadians → come → Ontario
Last month, Trump floated renaming the state of New Mexico as “New America.”
asserted
Trump → float → America
He used the name again in an Oct. 3 video endorsing Republican Greg Cunningham for the state’s 2nd congressional district.
asserted
He → use → district
But the President said that the state’s name would be left “up to” New Mexicans.
asserted
name → say → Mexicans
“I’m not going to push it, but a lot of people are liking it a lot,” he said.
asserted
he → go → it
Officially renaming a state would likely require approval by the state and Congress.
asserted
renaming → rename → state
Also in September, Trump suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway over which fighting has intensified amid the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran, the “Trump Strait.”
uncertain
fighting → suggest → Strait
When asked how serious he was, Trump said the idea was “just thrown out there.”
asserted
idea → ask → ?
He reiterated the idea at Saturday’s rally, saying “we’re thinking about doing it,” but he said he wouldn’t make the name change himself.
asserted
he → reiterate → change
Amid raucous applause on Saturday, the President mused about the affection he receives at rallies.
asserted
he → muse → rallies
He told the crowd, “I could say the stupidest things and you’d clap.”
uncertain
you → tell → things
The Aporia
