Trump hails Columbus Day: 'We're back, Italians'

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Oct 9, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

President Donald Trump Thursday hailed the upcoming Columbus Day holiday, taking credit for returning its traditional focus as a celebration of Italian American pride.

“In other words, we’re calling it Columbus Day,” Trump said at a White House Cabinet meeting.

“We’re back, Italians,” he added. “We love the Italians.”

In announcing the federal holiday on Monday, Trump portrayed his action as restoring the luster to a holiday that has become controversial in recent years as critics reassess Columbus’ mixed historical legacy.

“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,” Trump said in a proclamation.

He said he was restoring Columbus Day as a federal holiday, but its status has never actually changed.

Former President Joe Biden proclaimed Indigenous Peoples Day in 2021 to be recognized alongside Columbus Day in a nod to the devastating effect colonialism had on Native Americans who inhabited North America when Columbus arrived in 1492.

Some cities and states also recognize both holidays or identify it solely as Indigenous Peoples Day, which Trump derides as a reflection of politically correct “woke” thinking.

Progressive activists have campaigned for statues of the Italian-born explorer to be removed and for his legacy to be reexamined in a more balanced manner.

Trump vowed to stamp out criticism of the man whom many Italian-Americans view as a hero for their community.

“Columbus has been a prime target of a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage,” he said in the proclamation. “Under my leadership, those days are finally over.”

In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams moved this week to protect two statues of Columbus in Manhattan and Queens with landmark designations.

Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani called for the removal of the Columbus statue in Astoria in a 2020 social media post, although he recently said he’s no longer focused on the issue.