Former President Donald Trump told supporters at a Kentucky rally that Google now takes his calls and accommodates his requests, describing a shift in how the company treats him compared with his first term. Speaking in Highland Heights on Saturday, October 17th, Trump said Google would not have accepted his call during his first term but now does, according to remarks reported by The Verge.
Trump made the comment while listing what he described as accomplishments of his second term, including his decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario. He said the current term is more powerful than the first and cited a call to Google and Google Maps as an example. Trump appeared to suggest he personally persuaded Google to reflect the name change.
Google has said its maps reflect names from official government sources, which it identified as GNIS for the US, and that such updates follow its long-standing policy for bodies of water whose names differ from country to country. That account conflicts with any implication that Trump's call drove the change.
The remarks point to a broader courtship of Trump by Silicon Valley during his second term. Google and its CEO, Sundar Pichai, have been among those in the tech industry working to build favor with the president, offering gifts, compliments and donations to his pet projects, the report said. Google did not immediately return a request for comment.
For a US technology audience, the episode highlights the pressure major platforms face over how they handle politically sensitive map labels and how closely their public explanations align with claims made by elected officials. Google Maps is used widely by American consumers, and name changes on the service can draw attention from users and policymakers alike.
Trump's remark about the call was part of a rally speech in which he presented his second term as more effective than his first. The Verge reported that he tied the Google Maps change to his own influence, while the company has attributed the update to its standard sourcing practices.
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