The White House has installed a statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus on its grounds, in US President Donald Trump’s latest bid to recognize the controversial historical figure.

The statue Is a replica of the one which was tossed into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in 2020 amid nationwide protests against racism in US institutions, triggered by the killing of George Floyd.

The new statue has now been placed on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building which is adjacent to the White House.

Trump called Columbus “the ⁠original American hero and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the Earth," In the letter to the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, made public on Sunday.

“The statue is now residing on the north side of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus,” he said, thanking the group for their gift.

“We are delighted the statue has found a place where it can peacefully shine and be protected,” said John Pica, president of the Italian American organizations’ body.

“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.

Why is Columbus a controversial figure?

Christopher Columbus’ Spanish-funded voyages, starting in the 1490s, paved the way for Europe’s conquest and colonization of the Americas.

The Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 led to a re-examination of institutional racism and colonial-era symbols of slavery.

Protesters across several cities targeted Columbus statues, due to the fact that he and his crews were responsible for the genocide and exploitation of the Taino people in the Caribbean, amongst others. This established a pattern that would be repeated between future colonizers and other Indigenous peoples of the Americas.

In recent years, US institutes and organizations have replaced Columbus Day, on October 12, with Indigenous Peoples Day.

Former US President Joe Biden marked the day with a proclamation in 2021.

However, Trump dismisses the shift, calling it ‘anti-American’ ideology. In April 2025, he had said: “I’m bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes.”

“Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much.” He had said.

Columbus is not the only controversial figure making a reappearance.

Last week, the US Interior Department said a statue of ⁠Caesar Rodney will be displayed in Washington. Rodney was one of the American leaders to sign the Declaration of Independence but was also a known enslaver.

His statue was taken down amid racial justice protests in Delaware in 2020.

A statue of Confederate General Albert Pike, also overturned during 2020 protests, was reinstalled last year in Washington. (DW)

•The piece is a reconstruction of a statue unveiled by President Ronald Reagan in Baltimore in 1984Image: Andrew Leyden/ZUMA/picture alliance