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Amid a previous push among some leftists to replace Columbus Day with “Indigenous Peoples Day,” President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the federal holiday was making a comeback.
“Columbus Day – we’re BACK, Italians!” President Trump said during a cabinet meeting. “We love the Italians!”
The room was filled with applause after the president signed a proclamation acknowledging the federal holiday.
“That was the press that broke out into applause,” the president remarked with a smile.
Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October, and it pays homage to the Italian explorer who discovered the Caribbean in 1492. Although Columbus did not reach Asia, as he may have believed, he did kickstart an era of European exploration that ultimately led to the discovery and colonization of the New World.
President Trump’s proclamation emphasized Columbus’s contributions to exploration, describing him as a “gallant and visionary” man who brought “glory” to Spain and brought the “Gospel of Jesus Christ to distant lands.”
The president’s decision to highlight Columbus comes amid a push among critical theory enthusiasts who believe Columbus was a racist who oppressed Native American populations.
“Many of Columbus’ modern critics rely on a warped and politicized reading of history, and it is not the first time the explorer has endured such attacks,” argue the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization focused on charity and local community service.
“When a resurgence of anti-Catholic bigotry erupted in early 20th-century America, Columbus was a favorite target then as well,” the organization states on its website. “Despite animus among some groups today, the majority of Americans view the explorer positively and with pride.”
According to Pew Research, 30 states in the U.S. recognize Columbus Day, but only 20 of those states still acknowledge it as a paid federal holiday. Five states currently only recognize the holiday as “Indigenous Peoples Day.”