Columbus Day was previously commemorated alongside Indigenous Day under the administration of former President Joe Biden.
President Donald Trump said on April 27 that he would bring Columbus Day back “from ashes” after Democrats accused him of damaging Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.
Columbus Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the second Monday of October to honor Italian-Americans and Christopher Columbus, with a 1492 expedition from Spain reaching the Caribbean, marking the beginning of sustained European exploration and colonization of the Americas.
Trump said he plans to commemorate Columbus’ Day as “under the same rules, dates and locations, just as it did decades ago,” suggesting he will not follow Biden’s practice.
“They tore his statue apart and all they could do was ‘wake up.’
The federal holiday was still known as Columbus Day during Biden’s term, but also known as Indigenous Day. It was the long-standing goal of activists who wanted to turn their focus from the commemoration of Columbus’ voyage to the exploitation of his successors of his successors, and his successors.
Biden said it should serve as a reflection of “the courage and contribution of Italian Americans throughout generations” and “the dignity and resilience of tribal nations and indigenous communities.”
“These extremists are trying to replace discussions about his vast contributions with stories of failure, discoveries with atrocities and achievements with sin,” he said. “As leaning from our history, this radical ideology and its supporters are trying to correct it, take it from its splendor and mark it as inherently ominous.”
The Associated Press and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
