WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump highlighted a 13-foot Christopher Columbus statue near the White House , saying it was placed there to honor the contributions of Italian Americans to the United States.
“I did this in honor of the Italian American community,” Trump said, describing Italian Americans as “industrious, brilliant, wonderful people” and saying they had greatly appreciated the tribute.
The 1-ton replica was installed in March outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, a federal complex adjacent to the White House, as part of celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary.
The statue carries a complicated historical legacy. Columbus, the 15th-century Italian explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic in 1492 helped initiate sustained European contact with the Americas, has long been celebrated in the United States as a symbol of exploration. Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1971 and has traditionally been associated with Italian American heritage.
At the same time, Columbus has faced growing criticism over the consequences of European colonization for Indigenous peoples, including violence, exploitation and the disruption of established societies. In recent years, several cities and institutions have removed or reconsidered Columbus statues and replaced Columbus Day observances with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The replica near the White House was rebuilt in part from salvaged pieces of a Columbus monument in Baltimore that was toppled and thrown into the city’s Inner Harbor during protests in 2020.
The installation comes as the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, a milestone that has prompted renewed debate over the country’s history, national identity and the figures it chooses to commemorate.
