Donald Trump has vowed to bring about a “major comeback” for Christopher Columbus Day, which he says has gone by the wayside because of woke. This, despite the fact that the federal holiday was marked by the Joe Biden administration alongside Indigenous Peoples’ Day since 2021.
The POTUS signaled his intentions on his Truth Social platform, writing that he is “bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes.” He wrote that Democrats “did everything possible to destroy” the historical figure, his “reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much.”
He continued, “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!”
Indigenous Peoples’ Day, first coined circa 1977 following the Red Power Movement of the late ’60s, was formally acknowledged by Biden — though not made a federal holiday nor serving as a replacement for Columbus Day. In recent years, activists — specifically from within the Indigenous community — have moved to dismantle the mythology surrounding Columbus as an intrepid and pioneering explorer, instead shining light on his legacy of Native American colonization and violence. More than a dozen states, including California, recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
At the time of Biden’s announcement, Trump said, “So last week, Biden attacked Christopher Columbus by refusing to recognize Columbus Day. And he wants to change the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day. Who likes that idea? What the heck are you saying? That’s politically incorrect! What they don’t understand is that they’re politically incorrect. So he wants to change it to Indigenous Peoples Day. Not as long as I’m president.”
As with statues for Confederate leaders, statues of Columbus have either been toppled by protesters, voted to be removed (to prevent vandalism) or otherwise replaced. According to the Washington Post, however, 6,000 such commemorations still exist nationwide, as of 2021.
