Donald Trump wants to rename Denali back to Mt. McKinley

In a recent speech at the Turning Point Action's annual AmericaFest event in Arizona, President-elect Donald Trump expressed his intention to change the name of Denali, the tallest mountain in the United States, back to Mount McKinley. This pledge revives a campaign promise made during his previous run. Denali, formerly known as Mount McKinley, was officially renamed by President Barack Obama in 2015, a move aimed at acknowledging the mountain's cultural significance in Alaska and its connection to Native American tribes. The historical naming of the mountain is intertwined with the legacy of William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, who served from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. The peak was originally named Mount McKinley in 1896 by a gold prospector in honor of the president following his nomination for presidency. Despite this, it was noted that McKinley never visited the mountain, and his connection to it is mainly through its name. Trump, during his address, highlighted McKinley's significance as a president and expressed a strong belief that his name should remain attached to the mountain. He stated, "They took his name off Mount McKinley; he was a great president," indicating his interpretation of the name change as a slight to McKinley's legacy. Trump's administration promises to officially revert the name if he follows through with his commitment, citing McKinley's historical role in American politics and economy as justification. However, it should be noted that when Trump assumed office in 2017, Alaskan senators, including Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, voiced their opposition to reverting the name back to Mount McKinley. They emphasized the need to respect the cultural significance encapsulated in the name Denali, which means "the tall one" in the local Athabascan language. Their pushback illustrates the ongoing debate surrounding the renaming of sites to honor indigenous cultural perspectives and the prevailing narratives of American history. Trump's commitment to revert the name reflects broader political sentiments regarding historical legacy but raises questions about respecting local identities and histories.