Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy expressed his intention to speak with President Donald Trump regarding his decision to rename Denali, the tallest mountain in the U.S., back to Mount McKinley. The mountain had been renamed Denali by former President Barack Obama in 2015 after years of requests from Alaska leaders. Dunleavy, who had previously supported Trump’s executive actions, said he would reserve judgment on the name change until after he had spoken directly with the president.
Alaska’s senators have expressed a preference for the name Denali to remain, with two House members introducing resolutions urging Trump to maintain the mountain’s original name. The resolutions have yet to be scheduled for a vote, but if adopted, they would urge the congressional delegation to advocate for retaining the name Denali.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski strongly disagreed with the renaming order, emphasizing the historical significance of the name Denali to Alaska’s Koyukon Athabascan people. Meanwhile, Sen. Dan Sullivan, who has closer ties to Trump, expressed a preference for the name Denali due to its cultural significance. U.S. Rep. Nick Begich did not immediately respond to questions about the order and has not taken a public position on the name change.
Trump’s order instructed the Department of Interior to finalize the name change within 30 days, with the new name becoming official on February 20 unless revoked or blocked. The discussion surrounding the name change continues, with Alaskan officials and residents emphasizing the importance of preserving the mountain’s original name, Denali.
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