President Trump is hosting a Columbus Day celebration at the White House on Friday, built around the 13-foot Christopher Columbus statue now standing on the grounds.
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He sees it as a correction, not a new fight. The statue is a replica of the one Ronald Reagan dedicated in Baltimore in 1984. It stood there for more than 30 years, until July 4, 2020, when rioters tore it down and threw it into the harbor. Italian American groups pulled the pieces out, rebuilt it, and Trump put it on the White House grounds, outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
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In his proclamation this week he called Columbus the man who crossed uncharted waters, brought Western civilization to the New World, and paved the way for the American nation. He said the country is forever indebted to that voyage, and that the legacy will not be erased by radical extremists. He has called Columbus the original American hero, and said Democrats tried to destroy the name because Italian Americans love it.
That is why he wants the celebration. Columbus Day is Monday, October 12. Friday puts the statue, the guests, and the message in one place: what was dumped in 2020 is back up, Columbus Day is back, and he is the one who brought both.