Annapolis, Maryland– A statue of Christopher Columbus has been placed on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House, in the latest effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to recognize the controversial explorer.
The statue is An exact copy One was dumped into Baltimore Harbor in 2020 during Trump’s first term at a time of nationwide protests against institutional racism.
Trump supports the traditional view of Columbus as the leader of the 1492 mission that is seen as the unofficial beginning of European colonization in the Americas and the development of the modern economic and political system. But in recent years, Columbus has also been recognized as a prime example of Western European conquest of the New World, its resources, and its indigenous people.
The White House posted on the X website: “In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure that he is honored in this way for generations to come.”
“We are glad the statue has found a place where it can shine in peace and be protected,” said John Pica, a Maryland lobbyist and president of United Italian American Organizations, which owns the statue and has agreed to loan it to the federal government for placement in or near the White House.
The statue, made mostly of marble, was created by Will Hemsley, a sculptor based in Centerville on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Protesters toppled the original statue on July 4, 2020, and threw it into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor after anger mounted in the wake of the protests. The death of George Floyd By the police. This was one of several Columbus statues vandalized around the same time, with protesters saying the Italian explorer was responsible for the genocide and exploitation of indigenous peoples in the Americas.
In recent years, some people, institutions and government agencies have replaced Columbus Day with recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. President Joe Biden in 2021 became the The first American president celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day with proclamation.
Trump rejects Columbus’s shift in position as “left-wing arsonists” who are distorting history and distorting the collective memory of Americans. “I will bring Columbus Day back from the ashes.” Announced last April. Echoing his 2024 campaign rhetoric, he complained that “Democrats have done everything they can to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all the Italians who love him so much.”