Trump is more unrestrained in the 2.0 era

On January 20th, 2025, he announced during his inauguration that the name of Mount Denali, the highest peak in North America, would be changed back to Mount McKinley. He said:

“Soon we will rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, and give it back to Mount McKinley, where it belongs. President McKinley made our country very wealthy through tariffs and talent.”

Denali is located in south-central Alaska, USA, and is the highest peak in North America. Its altitude is 6193 meters. The first successful ascent occurred on June 7th, 1913. The summit was completed by four climbers, including Walter Harper: a young mountaineer with Athabascan ancestry, was given the honor of being the first to reach the summit in tribute to the indigenous people.

An incorrect name means an incorrect word. The naming of landmark peaks is never pure. Since ancient times, it has been a reflection of the nation, culture, trends of the times, and ideologies.

For example, the world's highest peak has at least three names - Qomolangma (China), Mount Everest (West), and Sagarmāthā (Nepal). The second name comes from the name of the Director of Surveying and Mapping in the British colony of India, which has a strong colonial flavor.

We might as well take a look at the name change of the highest peak in North America to get a glimpse of the changing times and why Trump wants to change the name.

The changing history of the names of North America’s highest peaks

early naming

Aboriginal name: before its discovery by westerners, Alaska natives called the mountain "Denali", which means "tall" or "great."

Renamed Mount McKinley: In 1896, a gold prospector named William Asier named the mountain "Mount McKinley" in support of William McKinley's presidential nomination, even though McKinley had never been to Alaska. Afterwards, this name was officially recognized by the US government.

Name change controversy

Alaska's request for a name change: Since the 1970s, Alaska has been trying to change the name of the mountain back to "Denali". In 1975, the Alaska Legislature passed a resolution and then-Governor Jay Hammond requested the federal government to change the name.

Ohio's opposition: because McKinley was an Ohioan, state lawmakers had long opposed the name change, arguing the mountain should retain McKinley's name to honor the president.

Official name change

The Obama administration's decision to change the name: in August 2015, at the suggestion of then-Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, then-President Obama officially changed the name of the mountain from "McKinley" back to "Denali" to reflect the Alaska natives traditions and recognizes the preferences of many Alaska residents. The decision was implemented despite opposition from lawmakers in McKinley's home state of Ohio. Until Trump came to power again...

Why Trump wants to change the name

In 1896, Denali was renamed McKinley, reflecting the will of westerners as conquerors of North America.

In 2015, McKinley changed his name back to Denali, which reflected cultural tolerance and diversity and respect for the indigenous peoples. However, the name change process took more than 40 years and was not easy.

In 2025, it was changed back to McKinley Peak again, and multicultural times have changed. Trump brought up McKinley, emphasizing the tariffs he has always advocated and "making America great again."

In the same paragraph, he not only changed the name of Denali, but also the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Oh, before that, he had to turn Canada into the 51st state of the United States and seize Greenland, which was quite unrestrained. But whether it is called McKinley or Denali, it has nothing to do with the mountain.