President Donald Trump erected a statue of Christopher Columbus in front of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House on March 22. The move is seen as part of the president’s unwavering stance to protect the history that, as he claimed on Truth Social, Democrats are trying to destroy.

The 13-foot statue is a replica of the monument that protesters ripped down and later dumped into a harbor in Baltimore during the George Floyd protests in 2020. Trump condemned the act in his first term and is now striking back with the installation of the statue. 

The placement marks a pivot in federal policy during a period in which the celebration of Columbus has been in decline. 

Columbus’ involvement in the colonization, genocide, exploitation, enslavement and abuse of Native Americans has sparked national outrage and a call for the renaming of the holiday to Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

In 2021, former President Joe Biden formally recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day alongside Columbus Day. In 2025, Trump wrote in a recent executive proclamation that he will only recognize the day as Columbus Day.

Columbus, known for his voyages to the New World, is often wrongfully credited with discovering America. 

His voyage is widely regarded as the beginning of the exploration and colonization of America, a feat celebrated through Columbus Day. Officially recognized as a national holiday by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937, it continued to be a celebration for Americans for over 80 years. 

Columbus has been a particular point of pride for many Italian Americans, who have embraced his legacy and used their cultural connection to establish a sense of belonging when facing discrimination, violent persecution and lynching during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

Trump described Columbus as “the original American Hero” during the reinstatement of Columbus Day, defending him as a figure encompassing American values and a champion for Italian American achievement. 

A White House spokesperson defended the placement of the statue, saying, “In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero,” demonstrating the Trump administration’s official return to traditional historical celebration by reversing recent trends toward Indigenous peoples’ inclusion in holidays. 

The statue serves as a rejection of modern views of Columbus and solidifies America’s friction surrounding the historical figure.