Trump installs statue of Columbus at White House

The White House has installed a statue of Christopher Columbus on its grounds – another move by President Donald Trump’s administration to rethink historical and cultural interpretations in the US.

According to the president, it marks a return to the ‘true’ picture of American history, describing Columbus as an exceptional hero. The statue was a gift from Italian-American organisations and stands near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Columbus has become a symbol of controversy, particularly after the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, when statues of him were removed or destroyed in many cities.

The demonstrators, whom Trump has now called ‘anti-American rioters’, argued that Columbus’s Spanish-funded voyages since the 1490s had set the stage for the European conquest of the Americas.

Erecting statues of him, they said, downplays his alleged cruelty towards the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

(reuters, pir)