Trump's Columbus Day proclamation includes stark warnings
President Donald Trump’s proclamation Friday commemorating Columbus Day includes stark warnings of “radical activists” seeking to tarnish the explorer’s legacy
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
President Donald Trump’s proclamation Friday commemorating Columbus Day veered from a typical White House holiday announcement, with stark warnings of “radical activists” seeking to tarnish the explorer’s legacy.
Native American advocates have pressed states for years to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day over concerns that Christopher Columbus helped launch centuries of genocide against indigenous populations in the Americas.
“Sadly, in recent years, radical activists have sought to undermine Christopher Columbus’s legacy,” Trump said in his proclamation declaring Monday Columbus Day. “These extremists seek to replace discussion of his vast contributions with talk of failings, his discoveries with atrocities, and his achievements with transgressions.”
Trump has been projecting himself as a defender of America’s history and monuments as he seeks reelection. He signed an executive order recently to establish a commission to promote what he calls “patriotic education.” The move is in part a response to The New York Times' “1619 Project,” which highlights the long-term consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans.
Trump frequently cites the commission at his campaign rallies, and he did so again in his proclamation Friday.
Trump has also ordered federal agencies to end diversity training programs. In his proclamation Friday, he said many such programs “are grounded in the same type of revisionist history that is trying to erase Christopher Columbus from our national heritage.”
“Together, we must safeguard our history and stop this new wave of iconoclasm by standing against those who spread hate and division,” Trump declared.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.