President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by suggesting the reinstatement of 'Mount McKinley' as the official name for North America's tallest peak, currently known as Denali. This move has reignited a long-standing debate over the mountain's nomenclature.
During his inaugural address, President Donald Trump expressed his desire to revert the name of North America's highest peak, Alaska 's Denali, back to Mount McKinley. This name change was originally intended to honor the 25th U.S. president, William McKinley. 'We will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs,' Trump stated on Monday following his swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.
This announcement reignites a decades-long debate surrounding the mountain's moniker. Former President Barack Obama officially changed the name to Denali in 2015, acknowledging the traditions of Alaska Natives and the preferences of many Alaskan residents. 'Denali' is an Athabascan word signifying 'the high one' or 'the great one.' The mountain's name was previously 'Mount McKinley' after President William McKinley, who never visited Alaska, was bestowed upon it by a prospector in 1896. This official recognition by the U.S. government persisted until Obama's decision, which faced opposition from lawmakers in McKinley's home state of Ohio.Alaska and Ohio have been locked in a naming dispute since the 1970s. Alaska formally requested the name change in 1975 when the state legislature passed a resolution and then-Governor Jay Hammond appealed to the federal government. The mountain, renowned for its majestic vistas, is characterized by glaciers and year-round snow cover at its summit, along with powerful winds that pose challenges for even the most experienced climbers. Trump had hinted at reversing Obama's action in 2016 but subsequently dropped the idea after Alaska's senators voiced their objections. He resurrected the topic during a rally in Phoenix on Sunday, stating, 'McKinley was a very good, maybe a great president. They took his name off Mount McKinley, right? That's what they do to people.' This reemergence occurred during his inaugural address, where he also suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the 'Gulf of America.' Trump lauded President McKinley's economic achievements, stating, 'President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent. He was a natural businessman and gave Teddy Roosevelt the money for many of the great things he did, including the Panama Canal, which has foolishly been given to the country of Panama.' Trump's proposal immediately encountered opposition within Alaska. Democratic state Senator Scott Kawasaki asserted on the social platform X, 'Uh. Nope. It’s Denali.' Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who had long advocated for legislation to change the name to Denali, echoed a similar sentiment in her own post, writing, 'There is only one name worthy of North America’s tallest mountain: Denali — the Great One.
DENALI MOUNT MCKINLEY DONALD TRUMP WILLIAM MCKINLEY BARACK OBAMA ALASKA OHIO NAME CHANGE
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