Democratic former president Barack Obama renamed the mountain using the local natives’ name of Denali in 2015, after a decades-long naming battle

US president-elect Donald Trump has said he will rename Denali, Alaska natives’ name for North America’s tallest mountain, after William McKinley, the 25th US president who was assassinated in 1901.

Democratic former president Barack Obama in 2015 officially renamed the mountain as Denali, siding with the state of Alaska and ending a decades-long naming battle. The peak had been officially called Mount McKinley since 1917.

“They took his name off Mount McKinley,” Trump said in a speech to supporters in Phoenix on Sunday. “He was a great president,” Trump, a Republican, said, adding that his administration will “bring back the name of Mount McKinley because I think he deserves it.”

  • MagicShel@lemmy.zipEnglish
    82·
    2 days ago

    Isn’t that a state’s rights matter? A state should be able to name its own landmarks.

    I checked. It seems ultimate authority rests with the US Board on Geographical Names, which is under the authority of the executive branch. He would be breaking lots of norms to just decree it so, but I think Trump has no fear is breaking norms.

    I guess I’d rather he worry about stuff like this that could ultimately be corrected in the future with the stroke of the pen than the stuff he wants that will be genuinely ruinous.

    • sparky@lemmy.federate.cc@lemmy.federate.cc
      17·
      2 days ago

      It’s only “states rights” when conservatives want to do something shitty that liberals don’t like. When it’s something liberals want, the conservatives will bring down the hammer of fasci- I mean, federalism.

    • NateNate60@lemmy.world
      16·
      2 days ago

      I think he will see that very few people give a shit what the mountain is officially called. People who want to call it “Mount McKinley” will continue to call it “Mount McKinley” and people who want to call it “Denali” will continue to call it “Denali”.

      • frunch@lemmy.world
        121·
        2 days ago

        But he’s scoring points by rolling back an Obama order. He may not have dismantled Obamacare but this will serve as enough distraction until he finds something else Obama did that he can reverse. Obama had 2 terms – there’s lots for Trump to hunt down and roll back 🤡

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
        61·
        2 days ago

        See also: “PLUTO IS A PLANET!!!”

        In the end, a mountain doesn’t care what it’s name is and a space rock doesn’t care what you classify it as. No one’s forcing you to go with the consensus on a name. Go check with the Bill of Rights if you think otherwise.