On October 9, 2025, the White House was abuzz with applause as President Donald Trump signed a proclamation declaring the coming Monday, October 13, as Columbus Day. The ceremony, held just ahead of the monthly Cabinet meeting, was more than a routine observance—it marked a pointed effort by the president to "reclaim" the legacy of Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer whose name has become a lightning rod in American culture wars.
"Today we have your Columbus Day proclamation for Monday, which we're signing a bit early," White House staff secretary Will Scharf announced as he introduced the document. Scharf recounted the familiar tale: Columbus, the "great Italian explorer," set sail in 1492 with the Nina, the Pinto, and the Santa Maria, landing in what is today the Caribbean. "This is a particularly important holiday for Italian Americans who celebrate the legacy of Christopher Columbus, and the innovation and explorer zeal that he represented," Scharf added, according to coverage from Fox News.
As Trump put pen to paper, the room erupted in applause—a rare moment of unity in a building often marked by division. "In other words, we're calling it Columbus Day," Trump declared, before turning to the crowd and exclaiming, "We're back, Italians!" He quipped, "That was the press that broke out in applause. I've never seen that happen. The press actually broke out in applause. Good. Columbus Day. We're back. Columbus Day. We're back, Italians. We love the Italians." The mood was unmistakably celebratory, at least among supporters and members of the administration.
But the president's proclamation was about more than tradition. In recent years, Columbus Day has become a battleground over history, identity, and justice. Activists and Native American communities have increasingly called for the holiday to be replaced with Indigenous Peoples Day, arguing that Columbus' arrival in the Americas marked the beginning of centuries of violence, dispossession, and disease for Indigenous peoples. According to NPR, Kerri Malloy, a professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies at San José State University, stated, "Columbus' arrival to the Americas triggered a mass genocide of Indigenous people throughout the Western hemisphere," citing deadly diseases, stolen land, and forced Christianization.
President Trump's proclamation, notably, made no mention of Indigenous Peoples Day. Instead, it accused "left-wing arsonists" of trying to "destroy [Columbus'] name and dishonor his memory." The language was combative, reflecting a broader culture clash. Trump had previewed this stance in an April 2025 social media post, promising to bring Columbus Day "back from the ashes" and reinstate it "under the same rules, dates, and locations, as it has had for all of the many decades before!"
The debate over Columbus Day is hardly new. The holiday was first commemorated by President Benjamin Harrison in 1892, a year after anti-Italian violence in New Orleans led to the lynching of eleven Italian immigrants. That act, according to Britannica, strained relations between the United States and Italy, and Columbus Day was intended as an olive branch to Italian Americans. President Franklin Roosevelt made Columbus Day a federal holiday in 1934, and it has been officially recognized since 1971. Today, Columbus Day is one of twelve federally recognized holidays, and, according to the Pew Research Center, is observed in some form by thirty states and three U.S. territories, while seventeen states and the District of Columbia commemorate Indigenous Peoples Day on the same date. Several states recognize both.
The tension between these two observances has only grown in recent years. In 2021, President Joe Biden became the first president to officially recognize Indigenous Peoples Day on the same date as Columbus Day. Former Vice President Kamala Harris echoed this sentiment, urging Americans in 2021 to "not shy away" from the "shameful past" of European explorers. "Those explorers ushered in a wave of devastation for Tribal nations—perpetrating violence, stealing land and spreading disease," Harris said. "We must not shy away from this shameful past, and we must shed light on it and do everything we can to address the impact of the past on Native communities today."
The reactions to Trump's 2025 proclamation were predictably divided. Supporters, especially within the Italian American community, saw it as a restoration of pride and heritage. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, wrote on X, "New Yorkers [love] Columbus Day!" Rep. Mike Lawler, also a New York Republican and an Italian American, chimed in, "Viva Italia! As a proud Italian-American, I fully support protecting Columbus Day and celebrating the rich history and contributions of Italian-Americans."
Critics, however, viewed the move as a deliberate provocation. Matthew Fletcher, director of the Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University, told NPR, "This is the president trolling people of color, underrepresented minorities that tend not to vote for his party or candidacy." Fletcher added, "My sense is there's not a massive groundswell in favor of Columbus Day anymore, except, possibly, the Italian Americans." He emphasized that, regardless of the federal designation, Indigenous Peoples Day would continue to be observed locally, tribally, and statewide. "It's still going to be a legitimate thing, and people take it seriously," Fletcher said.
Even among historians and educators, the debate is far from settled. Malloy, the San José State professor, criticized the president's framing: "The proclamation reiterates the American fantasy of Columbus' voyage, as solely a story of discovery and exploration, versus what it really was about—commerce and the exploitation of resources. You can't tell a story without telling both sides of it."
For many Italian Americans, however, Columbus Day remains a cherished symbol. The holiday, for them, is less about the man himself and more about the journey of their ancestors, who struggled for acceptance in a country that once viewed them with suspicion and hostility. The parade, the flags, the food—these are celebrations of identity and belonging, not just of history. As Trump said after signing the proclamation, "We're back, Italians. We love the Italians."
Yet, the controversy shows no sign of abating. Statues of Columbus have been toppled or removed in cities across the nation, especially during the protests of 2020. School curriculums are being rewritten, and the meaning of the holiday itself is being renegotiated in real time. The White House's applause-filled ceremony may have been a moment of triumph for some, but for others, it was a reminder of wounds that have yet to heal.
In a quieter moment during Thursday's proceedings, Trump also signed a proclamation honoring Viking explorer Leif Erikson, credited with discovering the coast of Newfoundland in Canada more than 1,000 years ago. Erikson, too, has his own complicated place in the story of European exploration of the Americas.
As the nation approaches another Columbus Day—one marked by celebration, protest, and reflection—the debate over who and what Americans choose to honor remains as vibrant and unresolved as ever.
