Trump issues Columbus Day proclamation, a holiday established after anti-immigrant violence

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — President Donald Trump issued a proclamation for Columbus Day, a holiday first created in the aftermath of deadly anti-immigrant violence.

President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed Oct. 21, 1892, as the first national Columbus Day to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ exploration of America. The proclamation, which he originally intended as a one-time event, came in the wake of a riot the previous year in New Orleans, when 11 Italian Americans were lynched in a xenophobic attack.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds an executive order about Columbus Day during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington Oct. 9, 2025. In the proclamation he signed ahead of the Oct. 13 holiday, he called Christopher Columbus “the original American hero, a giant of Western civilization, and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth.” (OSV News photo/Evelyn Hockstein, Reuters)

Columbus Day became a permanent national holiday in 1934 after Congress authorized President Franklin D. Roosevelt to declare the federal holiday, which came after advocacy from the Knights of Columbus.

Some jurisdictions have chosen to replace or add to the holiday Indigenous Peoples Day, aimed at honoring native American cultures amid concerns over Christopher Columbus’ ties to colonization and violence against Indigenous peoples. Former President Joe Biden recognized both titles for the federal holiday in 2021.

Trump previously said in an April social media post that he would bring back Columbus Day “from the ashes.”

In a proclamation Trump signed Oct. 9, ahead of the Oct. 13 holiday, he called Christopher Columbus “the original American hero, a giant of Western civilization, and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth.”

“This Columbus Day, we honor his life with reverence and gratitude, and we pledge to reclaim his extraordinary legacy of faith, courage, perseverance, and virtue from the left-wing arsonists who have sought to destroy his name and dishonor his memory,” it said.

In the proclamation, Trump added, “Outrageously, in recent years, Christopher Columbus has been a prime target of a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage.”

“As we celebrate his legacy, we also acknowledge the contributions of the countless Italian-Americans who, like him, have endlessly contributed to our culture and our way of life,” the proclamation said.

At the Oct. 9 signing ceremony, Trump said, “We’re back, Italians.”

“We love the Italians,” he said.

According to the Pew Research Center, 30 states and three U.S. territories recognize Columbus Day in some form, while five states and American Samoa share both titles for the holiday. Maine, Vermont, New Mexico and the District of Columbia replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, while Delaware marks a floating state holiday.