Trump says U.S. won't recognize Indigenous People's Day alongside Columbus Day (2025)

President accused Democrats of denigrating Christopher Columbus' legacy

Author of the article:

The Associated Press

Nicholas Riccardi

Published Apr 27, 2025

Last updated 5hours ago

2 minute read

Join the conversation

Trump says U.S. won't recognize Indigenous People's Day alongside Columbus Day (2)

Article content

President Donald Trump made clear Sunday that he would not follow his predecessor’s practice of recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Columbus Day in October, accusing Democrats of denigrating the explorer’s legacy as he pressed his campaign to restore what he argues are traditional American icons.

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.
Unlimited online access to National Post.
National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
Support local journalism.

Sign In or Create an Account

View more offers

Article content

Democrat Joe Biden was the first president to mark Indigenous Peoples Day, issuing a proclamation in 2021 that celebrated “the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples” and recognized “their inherent sovereignty.”

Article content

The proclamation noted that America “was conceived on a promise of equality and opportunity for all people” but that promise “we have never fully lived up to. That is especially true when it comes to upholding the rights and dignity of the Indigenous people who were here long before colonization of the Americas began.”

Article content

Trump on Sunday used a social media post to declare, “I’m bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes.” He said on his Truth Social site that “the Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much.”

Article content

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

( @realDonaldTrump - Truth Social Post )
( Donald J. Trump - Apr 27, 2025, 1:42 PM ET )
I’m bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes. The Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much. They tore… pic.twitter.com/IIBxndDVWo
— Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 TRUTH POSTS (@TruthTrumpPosts) April 27, 2025

Article content

The federal holiday, the second Monday in October, was still known as Columbus Day during Biden’s term, but also as Indigenous Peoples Day. That’s been a longtime goal of activists who wanted to shift the focus from commemorating Columbus’ navigation to the Americas to his and his successors’ exploitation of the indigenous people he encountered there.

Article content

NP Posted

Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.

Article content

Though Trump has long objected to telling the country’s history through a lens of diversity and oppression, the holiday he seeks to restore to its primacy was added to the calendar as a nod to the country’s growing diversity.

Article content

Columbus’ expeditions never touched the North American continent, let alone any land that is now part of the United States. But the native of Genoa became increasingly commemorated in the United States as Italian immigrants flocked to the country and politicians sought to win their support.

Article content

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

Indeed, it was the lynching of 11 Italian-American immigrants in New Orleans in 1891 that led to the first Columbus Day celebration in the United States, led the following year by President Benjamin Harrison. President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated Columbus Day as a national holiday in 1934.

Article content

Trump has long complained about Democrats tearing down statues of Columbus, a complaint he made again in Sunday’s post. In 2017, he spoke out against a review of the 76-foot-tall statue of the explorer in New York’s Columbus Circle that then-Mayor Bill de Blasio had ordered. It remains in place today, but other statues have been defaced or torn down.

Article content

In 2020, Trump’s administration paid to restore a Columbus statue in Baltimore that was dumped in the harbor during protests against the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Article content

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.