Donald Trump promised a “hurricane” of executive orders in his first hours as the new President of the United States, and it is already known that one of those first decrees will be full of symbolism: he will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali in Alaska, the highest peak in North America.
The information was released this morning by the New York Post.
Although both cases had already been mentioned by Trump, it is striking that they are included in his first measures: the Gulf of Mexico will be renamed as the "Gulf of America" and Denali will regain its former name of Mount McKinley.
The Secretary of the Interior will carry out these orders, which means that "Gulf of America" and "Mount McKinley" will be used in federal communications and official maps, but not necessarily in schools.
Why does Trump want to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico?
A few weeks ago, at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, Trump mentioned the option of changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico, but without providing any substantial reasons.
"We are going to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, which sounds very good. That covers a lot of territory, Gulf of America, what a beautiful name. And it is appropriate," Trump said.
The name "America" is due to the United States and not the continent.
According to the draft executive order obtained by the New York Post, it emphasizes that the Gulf “is essential for its maritime industry and energy production, international trade, tourism, fishing, and recreation.”
At one point, the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, recalled alongside a map from 1607 that what is now known as the United States, Mexico, and part of Canada had a different name. "Why don't we call it Mexican America? It sounds nice, doesn't it? Isn't that right?", she said, with a smile during a press conference.
Trump's admiration for President McKinley
In 1917, the government of the United States named the 20,310-foot mountain in Alaska (6,190 meters) Denali in honor of William McKinley, a Republican president who was assassinated in 1901.
Donald Trump has expressed on multiple occasions his admiration for William McKinley, especially for his impact on tariff policies. During an event in December, in Arizona, the next President of the United States praised McKinley, linking his legacy to his own ideals: "McKinley was a very good president, maybe a great president... At the very least, he was a very good businessman. He was an entrepreneur, then governor, a very successful businessman."
According to a draft obtained by the Post, it emphasizes the historical importance of McKinley, highlighting that his presidency is marked by his dedication to protecting American interests and his role in promoting national wealth.
However, McKinley's legacy was controversial during Barack Obama's presidency, who in 2015 made the decision to rename Mount McKinley as Denali, reclaiming the indigenous name given by the Koyukon Athabascans, the native inhabitants of Alaska. The decision was in response to a request made by the Alaska Legislature in 1975, in an effort to respect the traditions and history of the region's indigenous communities.
It is expected that Trump will sign the orders in the President's Room at the Capitol after his inauguration or hours later when he is already settled in the White House.