President Donald Trump has been quick to make changes on his first day in office, signing an order to rename the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Denali mountain. The Gulf of Mexico will now be known as the Gulf of America, while Denali will revert to its former name, Mount McKinley.
The decision to rename these natural features is meant to honor what Trump calls “American greatness”. The order, obtained by the New York Post, emphasizes the president’s goal of bringing common sense to government and renewing the pillars of American civilization.
The order directs the Secretary of the Interior to change the names in federal communications and on official maps, but the changes will not affect international use of the names. Mount McKinley was originally named in honor of President William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901. The mountain was unofficially named McKinley in 1896 by a gold prospector.
President Trump has expressed a personal connection to McKinley and sees the name change as impactful. He has praised McKinley as a successful businessman in the past, highlighting his admiration for the former president.
The decision to change the name of Denali has been a source of controversy, with the state of Alaska requesting the change in 1975. However, a congressional delegation from McKinley’s home state of Ohio blocked the change until Obama officially renamed the mountain in 2015.
Trump’s announcement has garnered mixed reactions, with some praising the effort to honor American history and others calling the decision “absurd”. The president has described the Gulf of America as a name that is both beautiful and appropriate.
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Photo credit www.theguardian.com
