Trump places statue of Christopher Columbus near the White House
WTOP • • nation
Key Points:
- A replica statue of Christopher Columbus has been installed on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House, marking a Trump administration effort to honor the explorer.
- The statue is a copy of one that was toppled and thrown into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor during 2020 protests against institutional racism following George Floyd’s death.
- President Trump promotes Columbus as a heroic figure linked to European colonization and the foundation of the modern economic and political order, rejecting criticism of Columbus’s legacy.
- The statue is owned by Italian American Organizations United and was created by Maryland sculptor Will Hemsley; it is now on loan to the federal government for public display.
- The move contrasts with recent trends recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day, a shift supported by President Joe Biden but opposed by Trump, who calls it an attempt to distort history.
