Trump Urges Columbus to Restore Explorer's Statue in Ohio

President Donald Trump is pressing Columbus, Ohio, to restore a statue of Christopher Columbus removed in 2020, renewing a national debate over historical monuments and the explorer's legacy. During a White House Columbus Day celebration on October 9, 2026, Trump called for the statue's return, while Mayor Andrew Ginther said the matter remains subject to pending litigation.

Trump's appeal coincides with Columbus Day on October 12, a federal holiday honoring the Italian explorer. His administration has emphasized Columbus' historical significance, while critics argue that celebrating him overlooks the exploitation, violence and loss of Indigenous lives and lands associated with European colonization.

In his Columbus Day proclamation, Trump praised the explorer's “valor, adventure, and ingenuity.”

The proclamation also stated that Columbus' 1492 voyage “set in motion the forces that would culminate in the miracle of July 4, 1776.”

Trump specifically called on Columbus officials to return the monument to the city. Mayor Ginther had ordered its removal in 2020 amid civil unrest in Columbus and other American cities.

“We demand that Christopher Columbus be put back into the heart of Columbus, Ohio,” Trump said at the October 9 event.

He continued his appeal by saying, “We want it back. We want it back in Columbus.”

Ginther responded that his priorities differ from those of the president. He emphasized local concerns, including living costs, housing affordability and the war in Iran, while declining to discuss the statue's legal status.

In a statement to ABC 6, Ginther said the president should stop trying to divide the country and focus on ending the war, addressing tariffs and reducing prices for fuel and everyday goods. He also called for stronger cooperation with cities to lower housing costs.

The mayor added that the statue is involved in pending litigation and that the city would not comment while the case remains before the court.

Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin also criticized Trump's intervention in a Facebook post.

“Mr. President, keep my city’s name out of your mouth,” Hardin wrote.

Hardin continued, “You’ve done enough harm to our residents. How about you focus the time you have left before becoming a lame duck on lowering costs and ending the war in Iran.”

Trump reiterated his position in an October 11 Truth Social post, describing the removal of Columbus statues as an attack on Italian American heritage.

He wrote, “Radical Left Dumocrats, Socialists, and Communists rampaged through our cities and towns ripping down almost all of the beautiful statues of Christopher Columbus. Well, those days of plunder are over, and the statues are back, more magnificent than ever.”

The post followed his October 9 celebration, where he linked his support for Columbus to his standing with Italian American voters.

Trump said, “The reason I get all of the Italian vote, I really believe – I didn't do it for this reason – I resurrected Christopher Columbus.”

He also explained his administration's position on the explorer's historical reputation.

“In this administration, we know that Christopher Columbus is – to us he's a hero,” Trump said.

Earlier in his political career, Trump had similarly defended Columbus. In his 2020 Columbus Day proclamation, he wrote, “Sadly, in recent years, radical activists have sought to undermine Christopher Columbus’s legacy.”

He further argued, “These extremists seek to replace discussion of his vast contributions with talk of failings, his discoveries with atrocities, and his achievements with transgressions.”

In April 2025, Trump said he was “bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes” in a Truth Social post. A proclamation signed in October 2025 described Columbus as “a prime target of a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage.”

Trump's efforts have included a monument on White House grounds. In March 2026, officials installed a 13-foot replica of a Columbus sculpture in front of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, using fragments from the original statue that protesters toppled in Baltimore in 2020.

The dispute reflects broader disagreements over how the United States commemorates its past. Columbus Day remains a federal holiday, but some states and cities instead recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day.

The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian notes that Indigenous peoples inhabited the Americas before Columbus arrived and that European contact brought devastating losses of life, cultural traditions and land.

In 2021, President Joe Biden became the first president to issue a proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day. Biden's proclamation stated, “For generations, Federal policies systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures. Today, we recognize Indigenous peoples’ resilience and strength as well as the immeasurable positive impact that they have made on every aspect of American society.”

In Columbus, the statue's future remains unresolved as litigation proceeds, leaving the city unable to provide further comment on the case.