Trump Executive Order Renames Denali as Mount McKinley

On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14172, titled Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness, directing federal agencies to refer to Denali, North America's tallest peak, as Mount McKinley — its official federal name from 1917 until 2015. The Interior Department implemented the change in federal records within days; the surrounding Denali National Park and Preserve retained its name.

Denali is an Indigenous Koyukon Athabascan name meaning the tall one or the great one, used locally for generations before it was renamed for President William McKinley in the early 20th century and formally restored to Denali by the Obama administration in 2015. Alaska's two Republican U.S. senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, along with state officials, opposed the reversal; Murkowski introduced legislation in February 2025 to restore the Denali name.

The order was issued the same day as a companion renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, part of a first-day slate of symbolic executive actions. Supporters called it a tribute to McKinley; opponents called it an unnecessary reversal of a recognized Indigenous place name made without local consultation.