(The Hill) — President Donald Trump said Sunday in a post on Truth Social that he’s “bringing Columbus Day back.”
“I’m bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes. The Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much,” Trump wrote in his post.
“They tore down his Statues, and put up nothing but ‘WOKE,’ or even worse, nothing at all! Well, you’ll be happy to know, Christopher is going to make a major comeback. I am hereby reinstating Columbus Day under the same rules, dates and locations, as it has had for all of the many decades before!” he added.
In 2021, former President Joe Biden was the first United States president in office to issue a presidential proclamation marking Indigenous Peoples Day. Indigenous Peoples Day has been celebrated by increasing numbers of Americans in recent years on the same day as Columbus Day, as many have said that the violence Christopher Columbus inflicted on Native communities should not be glorified.
“For generations, Federal policies systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures,” Biden said in the proclamation in 2021. “Today, we recognize Indigenous peoples’ resilience and strength as well as the immeasurable positive impact that they have made on every aspect of American society.”
In multiple Columbus Day proclamations from his first term, Trump did not mention Indigenous Peoples Day by name.
“Columbus’s spirit of determination and adventure has provided inspiration to generations of Americans. On Columbus Day, we honor his remarkable accomplishments as a navigator, and celebrate his voyage into the unknown expanse of the Atlantic Ocean,” Trump said in a proclamation from 2018.
“His expedition formed the initial bond between Europe and the Americas, and changed the world forever,” he continued. “Today, in that spirit, we continue to seek new horizons for greater opportunity and further discovery on land, in sea, and in space.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.