Installed Sunday, March 22, 2026, on the north side of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House, the 13-foot Columbus statue is a replica of the monument that was destroyed in Baltimore on July 4, 2020. (The Conference of …
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A statue of Christopher Columbus has been installed on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House, marking the latest move by President Donald Trump’s administration to honor 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.
Dig deeper:
Trump endorses a traditional view of Columbus as a leader of the 1492 mission seen as the unofficial beginning of European colonization in the Americas and the development of the modern economic and political order. But in recent years, Columbus also has been recognized as a primary example of Western Europe’s conquest of the New World, its resources and its native people.
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What they're saying:
"In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he's honored as such for generations to come," the White House posted on X.
"We are delighted the statue has found a place where it can peacefully shine and be protected," said John Pica, a Maryland lobbyist and president of the Italian American Organizations United, which owns the statue and agreed to loan it to the federal government for placement at or near the White House.
The backstory:
The statue, made mostly of marble, was created by Will Hemsley, a sculptor based in Centreville on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
The original statue was toppled by protesters on July 4, 2020, and thrown into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor after anger boiled over following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. It was one of many statues of Columbus that were vandalized around the same time, with protesters saying the Italian explorer was responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas.
Big picture view:
In recent years, some people, institutions and government entities have displaced Columbus Day with recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day. President Joe Biden in 2021 became the first U.S. president to mark Indigenous Peoples Day with a proclamation.
Trump dismisses the shift on Columbus as "left-wing arsonists" bending history and twisting Americans’ collective memory. "I’m bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes.," he declared last April. Echoing his 2024 campaign rhetoric, he complained that "Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much."
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from a combination of official statements, historical context, and background reporting. This story was reported from Los Angeles.