People who seek to “correct” geographical names are typically those who have, at some point in history, been subjected to hegemony – or fear it now. Donald Trump’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and restore the name Mount McKinley to Denali reflects the opposite narrative: this is not a challenge to hegemony but its direct assertion, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Anton Bespalov.
Donald Trump’s inaugural address on January 20, 2025, was filled with bold promises and revolutionary initiatives, all boiling down to one idea: restoring America’s greatness. The question remains how feasible these pledges are within a single presidential term – they include reviving US industrial might, defeating illegal immigration, and, more broadly, restoring national unity. But one promise was fulfilled almost immediately: that same day, Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and reinstating the name of President McKinley to the mountain that had, until then, been officially called Denali.
This move was mocked by critics – and even left many of Trump’s supporters puzzled. Indeed, issuing an order titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” is one thing; actually restoring that greatness, however it is defined, is another. Nevertheless, it marks a significant milestone in the culture wars that have been raging in America for years, as well as a curious case of symbolic politics extending into geography.
To provide some context, the name Denali was officially adopted at the federal level by President Obama in 2015, but Alaska had been using it since 1975, when the state legislature petitioned the US Board on Geographic Names for the change.
Restoring the indigenous Athabaskan name to the highest peak in the United States had been a key political issue for Alaska. Throughout this process, Alaskan lawmakers pushing for the change faced opposition from members of Congress representing Ohio, the home state of President McKinley. The debate was not just about historical justice or respect for Native peoples but also about Alaska’s own prestige. A recent poll showed that Alaskans favour “Denali” over “McKinley” by a two-to-one margin – even among Trump voters. Critics point out that many who support the name “McKinley” have never been to Alaska (just like McKinley himself). For some Alaskans, Washington’s decision to rename “their” mountain is an infringement on federalist principles.
Why is immortalizing McKinley’s name important to Trump? The 25th US president serves as a role model for the 47th in at least two key ways. First, William McKinley, a proponent of protectionist tariffs, saw trade barriers as a path to prosperity. Second, he expanded US territorial control, overseeing the annexation of Hawaii and, following victory in the Spanish-American War, the acquisition of Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, and Cuba.
If McKinley symbolizes “greatness” for Trump, Mexico embodies many of the country’s problems. Back in 2015, when announcing his first presidential campaign, Trump declared:
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best... They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
While the idea of renaming the Gulf was first floated at Trump’s press conference on January 7, 2025, it’s likely that the president had long been bothered by the reference to a country that “sends such people” in the name of a body of water crucial to US oil wealth. The connotations of the Gulf’s “belonging” to Mexico were reflected in comments by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who introduced a bill to rename it on January 9: “It’s our gulf. The rightful name is the Gulf of America and it’s what the entire world should refer to it as.”
Whether the US will demand global recognition of the new name remains to be seen, but it seems unlikely. A diplomatic campaign to enforce “Gulf of America” would drain resources from far more pressing issues. Moreover, such efforts are usually pursued by small and mid-sized nations asserting their own narratives.
Arab states call the Persian Gulf the “Arabian Gulf,” South Korea refers to the Sea of Japan as the “East Sea,” while North Korea calls it the “Korean East Sea,” countries disputing the South China Sea promote their own names (Vietnam: “East Sea”; Philippines: “West Philippine Sea”; Indonesia: “North Natuna Sea”).
What these cases have in common is a symbolic resistance to “hegemony”. Historically, Persia, China, and Japan were regional powers that dominated their neighbours, shaping political, military, economic, and cultural spaces around them. Those seeking to “correct” names are often nations that have been subjected to hegemony – or fear it now.
Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico reflects the opposite narrative: not a challenge to hegemony, but its direct assertion – at least in the Western Hemisphere. His logic (also seen in musings about annexing Greenland, admitting Canada into the US, or reclaiming the Panama Canal) does not seek global approval. Instead, it expects the world to accept it as a fait accompli – as businesses already have. Google, Microsoft, and Apple now display “Gulf of America” for US users, while oil giants BP and Chevron, operating in the Gulf, have complied without protest.
As for those who have refused to accept the new name, the Trump administration’s reaction to the Associated Press’ stance was telling. AP, citing its role as a global news agency, stated it would continue using “Gulf of Mexico” for international audiences while acknowledging the new name domestically. In response, the White House revoked AP reporters’ access to presidential events.
The Associated Press was not the only US media outlet to resist the administration’s rebranding, but it was singled out for exemplary punishment. The likely reason? The AP’s Stylebook – the definitive guide for journalists across America and much of the world – wields unparalleled influence. More than just a manual for formatting and nomenclature, it establishes norms for “inclusive reporting” and frames discussions on race, gender, and religion. This alignment with the left-liberal agenda that the Trump White House resists made the AP a prime target.
It is in this context that Trump’s rebranding moves should be seen. Renaming in America is nothing new – what’s unprecedented is the significance of the geographical objects being renamed. In 2022 alone, 650 toponyms containing the word “squaw” (deemed offensive to Native women) were renamed. In 2020, Black Lives Matter protests led to hundreds of schools, streets, and military bases being renamed to purge Confederate or “white supremacist” references.
Such symbolic moves as renaming geographical objects always invite criticism when confronting reality. Today, soaring egg prices in the US have given rise to memes like: “Gulf of How Does This Lower Grocery Prices”.
A conservative revolution – or, as Trump called it in his inaugural address, a “revolution of common sense” – could reshape the country and have much more importance for the world than rebranding place names and the signals that it sends. But for that, victories must extend beyond symbolic battles.
