Obama just changed the name of Alaska's tallest mountain. That really ticked off Ohio.


Hell hath no fury like an Ohioan scorned. Buckeye State lawmakers, including House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), are furious at President Obama's decision to change the name of Alaska's tallest peak from Mount McKinley to Denali, the mountain's native Athabascan name. Though Alaskans have referred to the mountain as Denali for years, and have had a request to change its name in the works since 1975, Ohioans are angry that the 25th president of the United States and native Ohioan will no longer take claim to the storied peak.
"I am deeply disappointed by this decision," Boehner said, adding that the mountain's title had been a "testament to [McKinley's] great legacy."
"This political stunt is insulting to all Ohioans, and I will be working with the House Committee on Natural Resources to determine what can be done to prevent this action," Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We must retain this national landmark's name in order to honor the legacy of this great American president and patriot," Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) agreed.
"The 25th president gets overlooked too much already. Would hope the president would find another appropriate way to honor McKinley." Karl Rove — not a native Ohioan — told Politico's Playbook. (Rove likely had a personal motivation for complaint, since his book on President McKinley comes out this fall).
Many Alaskans, however, are pleased with the decision. "I'll just point out that there's a lot of things in Ohio that are already named after McKinley," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told The Los Angeles Times. "This is no affront to our former president; this is all about ensuring that respect for the land and respect for the native people of the region is afforded."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster: 'a rare treat indeed'
The Week Recommends The Roadster version of Aston Martin's new Vantage coupé makes even 'the most mundane journey feel special'
-
Bad Friend: Tiffany Watt Smith explores why women abandon friendships
The Week Recommends A 'deeply researched' account of female friendship through history
-
Brazil's reborn dolls craze
Under The Radar The 'hyper-realistic' babies soaring in popularity in South American nation have spawned controversy
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs