Inside Trump’s push to celebrate Christopher Columbus and restore his legacy

On Friday, President Donald Trump hosted a Columbus Day celebration at the White House highlighting his administration’s efforts to honor Christopher Columbus as a hero and to enhance the significance of the holiday ahead of Monday’s observance.

Trump’s Columbus Day proclamation declares October 12 known publicly as Columbus Day and praises the Italian explorer’s “valore, adventure and ingenuity.”

The president drafted that Columbus’ 1492 voyage set the stage for the miracle of July 4, 1776. This celebration comes months after a replica of a Christopher Columbus statue was placed on the grounds of the White House near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

A statement from a Maryland lobbyist and president of Italian American Organizations United, John Pica reads: “ We are delighted the statue has found a place where it can peacefully shine and be protected.”

The significant move comes during a larger public debate about Columbus’s historical impact in recent years with some institutions and government entities having replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Furthermore, Trump said: “The Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much.”