Trump restores Columbus Day to the elation of Italians, but some liberals resist

In 2019, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a bill that designated Indigenous Peoples' Day in Washington, D.C. as a replacement for Columbus Day.

Published: October 12, 2025 10:56pm

President Donald Trump has restored Columbus Day as a federal holiday, and Italians from Giorgia Meloni to American politicians are loving it. But some liberals in blue cities are resisting, continuing to embrace the alternate Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Former President Joe Biden was the first U.S. president to issue a formal proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2021 rather than Columbus Day, which honors Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas in 1492.

Trump issued a proclamation on Thursday that accuses "left-wing arsonists" of attempting to "destroy [Columbus'] name and dishonor his memory."

Some cities are still recognizing Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples' Day

In 2019, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a bill that designated Indigenous Peoples' Day in Washington, D.C. as a replacement for Columbus Day. The city government continues to recognize the day as Indigenous Peoples' Day despite Trump's proclamation, according to a post on X.

"Reminder: In observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day, @DCDPW will 'slide' household trash and recycling collections to the next day," Bowser wrote in a social media post Sunday, embracing the alternate name for Monday's holiday.

Columbus Day was not officially renamed as a federal holiday. Despite that, Trump has taken steps to keep the second Monday in October as Columbus Day.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanked Trump for "restoring Columbus Day and for thus reminding us that history cannot be erased."

"And I thank him for having, on this occasion, reaffirmed the ancient bond that unites our two Nations and that both intend to strengthen, also thanks to the precious contribution of the proud Italian-American community," Meloni wrote on X.

Longtime Trump advisor Roger Stone said that Italian Americans "across the country are celebrating" after Trump restored the holiday.

According to Pew Research, "in five states, Columbus Day shares its spot on the calendar with Indigenous Peoples Day. In American Samoa, the two holidays are concurrently commemorated by governor’s memorandum each year."

Critics argue that Columbus' legacy shouldn't be honored.

Liberal organizations like MoveOn.org, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the Sunrise Movement support eliminating Columbus Day.

On Saturday in Boston, protesters briefly confronted police during an Indigdnous Day event in that blue city.

According to an NPR report, Kerri Malloy, a professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies at San José State University, argued that Columbus' arrival to the Americas "triggered a mass genocide of Indigenous people throughout the Western hemisphere."

Malloy also said Trump's 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."

Matthew Fletcher, director of the Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University, argued there isn't a "groundswell" to keep Columbus Day.

"This is the president trolling people of color, underrepresented minorities that tend not to vote for his party or candidacy," he said. "My sense is there's not a massive groundswell in favor of Columbus Day anymore, except, possibly, the Italian Americans."

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