In an executive order issued October 9, President Donald Trump issued a “proclamation” declaring Monday Columbus Day, claiming left-wing "radicals” and “arsonists” who toppled statues — seemingly a reference to the over 30 statues of Columbus brought down in 2020 — sought to dishonor his memory.
The order depicts Columbus as “the original American hero, a giant of Western civilization, and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth” — a framing at odds with today’s historical consensus.
More than a dozen states celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day — a holiday that celebrates Native peoples while challenging Columbus’ mythologized legacy and acknowledging the harm done by settler colonialism. In recent years, Maine, Vermont, New Mexico, and the District of Columbia have replaced Columbus Day entirely.
In 2023, former President Joe Biden formally declared the holiday to “honor the perseverance and courage of Indigenous peoples” and to “renew our commitment to respect Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.” The website for Biden’s proclamation has seemingly been deleted; the link appears to have broken sometime within Trump’s first two weeks in office.
Trump’s order neglected any mention of Native people or Indigenous Peoples Day, the holiday he seeks to replace. Instead, the Republican simply celebrated the Italian explorer — who brought disease, colonization, and enslavement — for “paving the way for the ultimate triumph of Western civilization.”
“Columbus Day, we're back, Italians. We love the Italians,” Trump said as he held up the proclamation on Thursday.
This move by Trump and Republicans should come as no surprise. Six months ago, the president declared that he would “reinstate” the holiday, which he said was ruined by Democrats, with the “same rules, dates, and locations as it has had.”
“Christopher is going to make a major comeback,” he wrote on Truth Social back in April.
Meanwhile, a House Republican introduced a proposal that would cut off federal funding from states and cities that celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day. On Friday, Ohio Representative Michael Rulli introduced the “Italian Heroes and Heritage Act,” saying the measure is to honor “every son and daughter of Italy, every Knights of Columbus, every pasta dinner on Sunday, and every communion.” The state of Ohio currently acknowledges both holidays, but in 2017 the college town of Oberlin became the first Ohio city to opt out of celebrating Columbus Day, joining the ranks of Berkeley and Los Angeles.
“We are not going to allow any American municipality to think that they have power over the federal government,” Rulli told Fox News.
Rulli’s proposal — punishing municipalities that fail to celebrate a questionably Italian explorer — is unlikely to pass. It won’t be taken up until after the federal holiday, and in any case, not until Congress reopens for business.
