President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Columbus Day will officially return to its traditional standing without being paired with Indigenous Peoples Day. Speaking via Truth Social, President Trump vowed to “bring Columbus Day back from the ashes,” accusing Democrats of trying to destroy the legacy of Christopher Columbus and diminish the contributions of Italian-Americans.
During Joe Biden’s presidency, a proclamation each October recognized Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Columbus Day. Biden’s 2021 statement emphasized the “invaluable contributions and resilience” of indigenous peoples, framing it as a necessary correction to historical injustices. However, the federal holiday remained officially named Columbus Day during Biden’s administration.
President Trump rejected this dual recognition, pointing to a broader trend of Democrats tearing down American historical icons. Trump highlighted the 2017 controversy over the Columbus statue at New York’s Columbus Circle and noted his administration’s restoration of a Columbus statue in Baltimore that had been vandalized during the 2020 protests.
Columbus Day became a national holiday under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1934, largely to honor Italian-American immigrants. Trump’s recent statement ties his Columbus Day push to protecting the heritage and traditions of America’s immigrant communities, particularly in the face of modern revisionist narratives.
Activists had long called for shifting the holiday’s focus to Indigenous Peoples Day, criticizing Columbus for his role in colonial exploitation. Trump’s move signals a sharp cultural reversal, reinforcing a celebration of Columbus as a symbol of exploration and immigration rather than oppression.
