President Donald Trump announced on TruthSocial his intention to 'reinstate' Columbus Day, claiming it had been undermined by Democrats, despite it still being a federal holiday. His statement criticized perceived efforts to diminish the legacy of Christopher Columbus and emphasized a cultural backlash against 'woke' initiatives. The federal holiday status of Columbus Day remains intact, although many cities and states have adopted Indigenous Peoples Day on the same date to acknowledge the historical impacts of colonization. Legislative attempts to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day at the federal level have not succeeded, although President Joe Biden issued proclamations recognizing both holidays. The dual observance reflects ongoing cultural and historical debates around Columbus's legacy and the treatment of indigenous peoples in the United States.

President Donald Trump announced he is 'bringing back' Columbus Day, which he claimed had been diminished by Democrats, despite it still being a federal holiday.

Trump's announcement on TruthSocial emphasized his stance against 'woke' culture, blaming Democrats for efforts to dismantle Columbus's legacy and honoring Italian heritage.

Columbus Day remains a federal holiday, but over 200 cities and several states, including Maine, Vermont, and New Mexico, now recognize Indigenous Peoples Day on the same date.

Efforts in Congress to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day have been introduced but failed to reach a vote, maintaining the current status of both holidays.

President Joe Biden acknowledged the complexity of Columbus's legacy by issuing proclamations for both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day, highlighting the dual recognition of historical narratives.

The debate around Columbus Day reflects broader societal discussions about historical figures, colonization, and the movement to recognize indigenous histories and contributions.

The observance of both holidays on the same day underscores the ongoing cultural dialogue and differing views on how to honor the past while acknowledging historical injustices.

President Donald Trump announced he’s “bringing back” a holiday, which never went away.

The 78-year-old President of the United States announced on TruthSocial on Sunday (April 27) that he is reinstating Columbus Day “from the ashes.”

“I’m bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes. The Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much. They tore down his Statues, and put up nothing but ‘WOKE,’ or even worse, nothing at all!” he wrote.

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“Well, you’ll be happy to know, Christopher is going to make a major comeback. I am hereby reinstating Columbus Day under the same rules, dates, and locations, as it has had for all of the many decades before!”

As Axios notes, a president cannot erase or declare federal holidays, as Congress is required to do so.

What’s more, Columbus Day is still a federal holiday, though Indigenous Peoples Day has replaced it in over 200 cities and multiple states as of 2024.

Maine, Vermont, New Mexico and Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Seattle are among the U.S. locations celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday in October, the same day as Columbus Day.

New York, Rhode Island and Nebraska recognize both holidays, while over half of U.S. states don’t recognize either day as a state holiday.

New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich presented a bill, and multiple representatives also did so in the House in 2023 to make Indigenous Peoples Day a federal holiday instead of Columbus Day, but the bills never made it to a floor vote.

President Joe Biden became the first president to formally acknowledge the holiday with a proclamation, but continued to acknowledge Columbus Day, and issued proclamations throughout his presidency about the holiday.

Christopher Columbus‘s history of colonization, torture and genocide of indigenous people has resulted in mixed reactions to the explorer being federally recognized with a holiday.

Regardless, it remains a federal holiday, despite what Trump said.

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