Former President Donald Trump marked Columbus Day with a strong social media post on Truth Social, asserting that the era of removing statues of Christopher Columbus has ended. He specifically targeted what he called the "Radical Left Dumocrats, Socialists, and Communists" for allegedly toppling monuments across the nation.
"Well, those days of plunder are over, and the statues are back, more magnificent than ever," Trump stated in his post on Sunday. He extended congratulations to the Italian American community and Italy, calling it a significant day for both.
Trump signed a proclamation last year designating Oct. 13 as a day to honor the explorer. This action comes as numerous states and cities have moved to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, reflecting a broader debate about Columbus's historical legacy and his role in the colonization of the Americas.
Critics argue that Columbus was a colonizer responsible for violence against indigenous populations, contrasting with the traditional narrative of him as the European discoverer of America. Some also point out that Norse explorers reached North America centuries before Columbus.
In May, the Trump administration reopened the Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain in Washington D.C.'s Union Station, which had been in disrepair since 2007. Columbus Day has been a federal holiday since 1937, with its observance moved to the second Monday in October in 1971.
During his presidency, Trump championed the celebration of Columbus Day. Last week, he remarked on the addition of a Columbus statue to the White House Rose Garden, stating, "I resurrected Christopher Columbus," and that the explorer had been "rehabilitated 100 percent."