President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to rename several US landmarks, citing a desire to 'honor American greatness' and promote the nation's heritage for future generations. The order specifically targets the renaming of Mount McKinley in Alaska, which was previously changed to Denali by former President Barack Obama in 2015. The executive order criticizes Obama's decision as an affront to President McKinley's legacy, highlighting McKinley's support for tariffs and his assassination as an attack on American values.
In addition to renaming Mount McKinley, the executive order instructs the secretary of the interior to collaborate with Alaska Native entities and state/local organizations to select names that honor the history and culture of the Alaskan people. Furthermore, the Gulf of Mexico is set to be officially renamed the Gulf of America to recognize its economic contributions to the United States. The order mandates that all federal government maps and documents reflect this change.
Moreover, the executive order addresses the US Board on Geographic Names, which oversees the standardization of names for geographic features. It directs government agency heads to appoint new members to the board to review existing members and potentially replace them.
