President Donald Trump’s ongoing effort to reestablish American culture, heritage, and greatness was in full view on Friday at the White House.
Trump declared Friday that Christopher Columbus has officially been restored to his rightful place in American history, unveiling plans for another statue honoring the explorer at the White House while condemning left-wing activists who have attempted to erase his legacy.
Speaking during a Columbus Day celebration in the East Room, Trump praised the Italian explorer’s accomplishments and credited his administration with reversing efforts to remove Columbus monuments and diminish the federal holiday bearing his name.
“I resurrected Christopher Columbus,” Trump announced to applause from the audience.
“He’s been rehabbed 100 percent, and he’s been resurrected in the true sense,” the president continued. “He’s back to where he should be.”
The celebration came ahead of Monday’s Columbus Day holiday and featured prominent Italian Americans, administration officials and community leaders.
Trump also announced that a new Columbus statue would be installed in the White House Rose Garden, joining monuments honoring Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.
The president delivered some of his strongest criticism against activists and political leaders who have sought to remove Columbus statues and replace Columbus Day celebrations with Indigenous Peoples Day observances.
“As you know, the radical left communists hate Columbus, and they want to abolish Columbus Day,” Trump told the audience.
He accused political opponents of attempting to rewrite American history by removing monuments dedicated to figures whose accomplishments helped shape the country.
In 2021, President Joe Biden became the first president to formally recognize ‘Indigenous Peoples Day’ through a presidential proclamation.
However, that action did not eliminate Columbus Day as a federal holiday. Both observances were recognized during Biden’s presidency.
Trump has since emphasized Columbus Day and discontinued the previous administration’s practice of issuing a parallel Indigenous Peoples Day proclamation.
Trump argued that the movement against Columbus reflected a broader effort to undermine America’s historical traditions.
He also defended monuments honoring George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, arguing that Americans should recognize their contributions rather than judge historical figures exclusively through contemporary political debates.
The president pledged that his administration would continue protecting historical monuments from vandalism and destruction.
Trump’s latest tribute involves a sculpture depicting Columbus surrounded by four female figures representing Europe, America, Asia and Africa.
The statue was created by a designer who also worked on the White House heliport.
Trump said the monument would be placed near the Oval Office in the Rose Garden, where statues of Hamilton and Jefferson have already been installed.
The president also highlighted another Columbus monument recently placed on White House grounds.
That statue stands outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and incorporates a reconstruction of a monument originally dedicated in Baltimore in 1984.
The Baltimore statue was toppled and thrown into the city’s harbor during the BLM-inspired riots in July 2020.
Italian American community members subsequently recovered fragments of the sculpture and worked to restore it.
The reconstructed monument was installed outside the White House earlier this year.
Trump cited its restoration as an example of Americans refusing to abandon their historical heritage.
Trump devoted much of Friday’s ceremony to celebrating the contributions of Italian Americans.
“We love Italian Americans,” the president said. “I love you. That’s why I’m here.”
He described the community as an important part of American culture and credited Italian immigrants and their descendants with helping build the country.
Trump also discussed discrimination historically experienced by Italian Americans, arguing that their accomplishments deserve greater recognition.
Among those acknowledged during the ceremony were Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, opera singer Christopher Macchio and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani’s son, Andrew, attended the event.
Macchio performed during the celebration, which brought together Italian American leaders and senior administration officials.
Trump also called attention to the Italian American community in New York City, praising its cultural traditions and contributions to American life.
The president also brought the controversy into the November midterm campaign, singling out Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
Trump accused El-Sayed of wanting to abolish Columbus Day and criticized politicians who oppose continuing the holiday.
“He wants to abolish Columbus,” Trump said.
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