Trump Calls Christopher Columbus ‘the Original American Hero’ as He Sidesteps Indigenous Peoples’ Day: ‘We’re Back, Italians’

Former President Donald Trump has issued a proclamation defending Christopher Columbus and denouncing what he described as efforts by “left-wing arsonists” to discredit the Italian explorer’s legacy.

The statement came ahead of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 13 — an alternative to Columbus Day that recognizes the impact of European colonization on Native Americans. In the proclamation, Trump portrayed Columbus as “a true American hero” and sought to reaffirm the holiday in his honor.

“Today our Nation honors the legendary Christopher Columbus — the original American hero, a giant of Western civilization, and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth,” Trump wrote. “This Columbus Day, we honor his life with reverence and gratitude, and we pledge to reclaim his extraordinary legacy of faith, courage, perseverance, and virtue from the left-wing arsonists who have sought to destroy his name and dishonor his memory.”

Trump went on to condemn what he called a “vicious and merciless campaign” to erase Columbus from history. “Before our very eyes,” he said, “left-wing radicals toppled his statues, vandalized his monuments, tarnished his character, and sought to exile him from our public spaces.”

During the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests that followed the murder of George Floyd, several statues of Columbus were removed or damaged, along with monuments to Confederate figures.

“Under my leadership,” Trump wrote, “those days are finally over — and our Nation will now abide by a simple truth: Christopher Columbus was a true American hero, and every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination.”

While Trump’s proclamation praised Columbus for opening “the vast frontier and untold splendors of the New World to Europe,” the explorer remains a divisive historical figure. His voyages in the late 15th century led to the introduction of European diseases to Indigenous populations and the enslavement and displacement of Native peoples.

Elsewhere in the proclamation, Trump lauded Columbus for landing in the modern-day Bahamas and “dedicating the land to God and setting in motion America’s proud birthright of faith.” However, most historians agree that Columbus never reached the North American mainland. Spanish conquistadors who followed established the encomienda system, which effectively enslaved Indigenous people and subjected them to forced labor under harsh conditions.

Columbus spent his later years in Spain after four voyages to the Americas. He died in 1506 amid disputes with the Spanish crown over trade profits. Centuries later, Puritan preachers recast his story as a symbol of American perseverance — a narrative that helped enshrine him as a national hero and earn a federal holiday in his name.

Trump concluded his proclamation by urging Americans to “follow [Columbus’] example” and “restore a Nation that once again dares to tame the unknown, honors our rich cultural inheritance, and offers rightful praise to our Creator above.”

Trump also used the statement to celebrate Italian heritage, writing, “As we celebrate [Columbus’] legacy, we also acknowledge the contributions of the countless Italian-Americans who, like him, have endlessly contributed to our culture and our way of life.” When he signed the proclamation on Oct. 9, he reportedly added, “We’re back, Italians.”

President Joe Biden, Trump’s predecessor, became the first U.S. leader to formally recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day with a presidential proclamation. His annual messages have taken a notably different tone, emphasizing the resilience of Native communities.

In his 2023 proclamation, Biden wrote, “The story of America’s Indigenous peoples is a story of their resilience and survival; of their persistent commitment to their right to self-governance; and of their determination to preserve cultures, identities, and ways of life.” He noted that “long before European explorers sailed to this continent, Native American and Alaska Native Nations made this land their home.”

Biden’s 2024 statement further addressed the injustices Indigenous communities have endured since colonization. “Because of our Nation’s failed policies of the past, generations of Native peoples have faced cruelty, violence, and intimidation,” he wrote. “They were forced to leave their homelands, prohibited from speaking their own languages and practicing their sacred traditions, and forced into assimilation.”

“Despite the trauma and turmoil,” Biden added, “Indigenous peoples have persisted and survived. Their stories are testaments to the bravery and resolve of generations to preserve their heritage, cultures, and identities for those to come after them.”