On Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.” It officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” and Mount Denali, the highest point in the U.S. and North America, to “Mount McKinley.” 

In anticipation of the changes, I was constantly checking Apple Maps on my phone for several days, until I noticed last week that the Gulf of Mexico was no more, followed by Bing and Apple Maps. Mount McKinley hasn’t been adopted yet. While reckoning that KATC meteorologist Rob Perillo may refer to the Gulf of America during hurricane season, I also researched the history of the region’s name. 

The designation “Gulf of Mexico” was given by Spanish explorers in the 1500s. Mexico is the Spanish translation of Mēxihco, the Nahuatl name the Mexica people gave to the Valley of Mexico and surrounding areas. The name stuck when Mexico gained independence. 

Mount Denali in Alaska is the moniker given by the native Athabascan tribe long before Americans arrived. In 1896, William A. Dickey, an American prospector, found the mountain. He named it Mount McKinley, after William McKinley, the Republican nominee for president at the time, who also happened to support the gold standard. When McKinley subsequently won the election later that year, the label stuck and became official in 1917. 

In 2015, then-President Obama renamed it Mount Denali, following decades of pressure from Alaskan politicians and locals. The administration felt that it was more appropriate to give an Alaskan landmark an Alaskan name rather than a president who had never visited it. 

Trump intends to respect the history of the U.S. Yet, I’m left questioning whether it does or not. 

The “Gulf of America” has no effect outside U.S. borders because it’s an international body of water. However, to the confusion of many, Google and Apple Maps label it as “Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico)” around the world. Other navigation companies, like U.S. based MapXplorer and the European HERE WeGo, are keeping the original name. 

The U.S. isn’t alone in this situation. Similar name disputes exist over the Sea of Japan, Crimean Peninsula, Persian Gulf, Mount Everest and others. The listing one sees on digital services depends on location, language settings and app of choice. 

One could argue that the name change refers to the North American continent rather than the U.S. However, Trump didn’t say this was the case, and it begs the question: Why stop here? The Caribbean Sea should be renamed the “American Sea” and the Mississippi River become the “Great American River.” I think the first question is to answer a complicated question: “What makes something ‘American?’” 

Most state and national park names are derived from Native American tribes or foreign influences. Louisiana is named after King Louis XIV of France. Numerous parishes honor French Catholic saints or native tribes, which definitely don’t constitute a majority of the population. 

Obviously, names carry weight in modern society. If that were false, parents could shamelessly name their children after serial killers, dictators or raunchy words. This might be a slippery slope argument, but standards are important. 

Most importantly, Trump’s actions indicate his style of governance for his second term. The Associated Press was denied access to White House events last week indefinitely for continuing to use “Gulf of Mexico” in its articles with appropriate clarification about the name change. 

As an independent international organization, the AP has a responsibility to its global audience, who associate with the Gulf of Mexico rather than the new name. 

However, the government’s actions have a vague hint of censorship that might abridge on the First Amendment. 

The White House Press Office is in charge of issuing passes to those entering the White House or getting close to the president, and any reporter is allowed into the briefing room. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration, asserting that it’s a privilege to ask the president questions. 

My conclusion on the issue is that Trump wants to assert American dominance around the world, which aligns with much of his foreign policy. 

In the past few months, Trump has called for a new age of U.S. imperialism. He’s enacted and proposed various tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China to foster American business. He even threatened to annex Canada through economic or military force to create an exponentially stronger economy. 

Trump also proposed buying Greenland from Denmark to provide the U.S. more natural resources. Given that both Canada and Greenland deeply despise the idea and the difficulty of exploiting resources in the arctic circle, it’s severely unlikely. 

Trump wants to take control of the Panama Canal, citing mistreatment of American vessels and Chinese influence. The country is expected to make changes to its Chinese relationship following a visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

In a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump suggested sending the U.S. military to control the Gaza Strip and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” after relocating 1.8 million Palestinians into nearby countries. Netanyahu rejected such American influence in Israel’s sphere of influence. Other nations, like Saudi Arabia, stressed the importance of an independent Palestine. 

I’m inclined to believe that Trump is only trying to hold media attention until he finds popular proposals. However, I also have to remember that there are still three years and 11 months to go, so anything can happen.