Trump places statue of Christopher Columbus near White House
A statue of Christopher Columbus has been placed on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House, the latest effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to recognise the controversial explorer.
The statue is a replica of one that was tossed into Baltimore’s harbor in 2020 during Trump’s first term at a time of nationwide protests against institutional racism.
Trump endorses a traditional view of Columbus as a leader of the 1492 mission, seen as the unofficial beginning of European colonisation in the Americas and the development of the modern economic and political order. But in recent years, Columbus also has been recognised as a primary example of Western Europe’s conquest of the New World, its resources and its native people.
“In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he’s honoured as such for generations to come,” the White House posted on X.
