On Sunday afternoon, President Donald Trump announced over Truth Social that he is "bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes." Such a post went on to remind how the Democrats went after the holiday celebrating Christopher Columbus, which also commemorates Italian-Americans, as well as statues of the explorer. A headline from Axios, however, was singing a different tune.
"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! Well, you’ll be happy to know, Christopher is going to make a major comeback," Trump's post continued to read. "I am hereby reinstating Columbus Day under the same rules, dates, and locations, as it has had for all of the many decades before!"
Axios wrote about Trump's post later that same day, with their headline claiming that "Trump says he's bringing back Columbus Day, but it never went anywhere." The article itself counteracts the narrative presented by the headline, however.
Early on the piece acknowledges that "Indigenous Peoples Day has replaced [Columbus Day] in over 200 cities and multiple states as of last year," and there's more details from there:
- Maine, Vermont, New Mexico and Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Seattle are among those celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday in October, the same date as Columbus Day.
- Three states, New York, Rhode Island and Nebraska, recognize both holidays.
In October 2024, Axios staff research determined that over half of U.S. states don't recognize either day as a state holiday.
...
Zoom out: Protests over the explorer and his namesake holiday most recently came to a head in summer 2020 when several statues of Columbus were vandalized or damaged during the Black Lives Matter movement.
- At least 33 statues were removed or in the process of being taken down in September 2020, according to a report from CBS News.
This is not the first time that Axios has acknowledged that Columbus Day has come under threat. The Axios X account shared such a piece, which has so far brought in close to 200 replies, many of them referencing the outlet's previous reporting, as well as reporting from previous outlets on how Columbus Day is indeed being "replaced."
This is literally your reporting. pic.twitter.com/vD0iWkpasU
— Bad Hombre (@joma_gc) April 27, 2025
And you wonder why nobody trusts or believes you anymore. pic.twitter.com/dKXrEmMyg2
— Bailey (@realsnoopbailey) April 28, 2025
The article in question many are bringing up in the replies and/or quoted reposts is an Axios article from October 14, 2019, "America's shift from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day," written even before statues of all kinds came under attack in 2020, as referenced in the most recent Axios article on the subject.
The attack on Columbus Day, as well as the statues, happened long before the Black Lives Matter riots.
As this piece mentions:
Many Americans got the day off Monday because of Columbus Day, but the federal holiday is instead being celebrated as Indigenous Peoples Day in many spots throughout the nation.
The big picture: Roughly 10 states and 100+ U.S. cities observe some version of Indigenous Peoples Day this month. Native American advocates have been working since the early 1990s to get states to make the swap, the AP reports.
The latest: As tensions over the holiday's original intention rise, Columbus statues in San Francisco and Providence, Rhode Island, were vandalized with red paint Monday, CNN reports.
- "Vandals had chained a sign to the base of the statue that said 'Stop Celebrating Genocide' and spray painted the word 'Genocide' on the monument."
For Columbus Day last year, which fell on Monday, October 14, Axios put out no less than two pieces on the matter, including headlines such as "Indigenous Peoples Day or Columbus Day: States split on which to spotlight" and "What to know about Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day."
The city of Columbus, Ohio was named after the explorer, though the city hardly celebrates him anymore. "Even Columbus, Ohio, no longer observes its namesake’s holiday, having renamed it Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2020," Pew Research noted in October 2023. Columbus City Schools are also not closed for the occasion.
As The Columbus Dispatch reported, also in October 2023:
Because the federal holiday celebrating Columbus has become a contentious issue, most local governments and other public entities here have moved the day off elsewhere. Here's a rundown of what's closed and what's open:
- Post offices are closed and regular mail will not be delivered.
- Federal and state offices are closed.
- City of Columbus offices will be open, trash will be collected as scheduled and parking meters will be in effect. The city discontinued observing the holiday of its namesake in 2018, moving the paid day off to Veterans Day instead.
- Franklin County offices will be open since the county commissioners in 2020 moved the paid holiday to Juneteenth.
- Columbus City Schools, the state's largest school district, will hold classes on a regular schedule. Whether Columbus Day is observed depends on the individual public school district.
- Ohio State University is open, having moved the paid holiday to the Friday after Thanksgiving some years ago.
- Columbus State Community College is open.
- Columbus Metropolitan Library branches are open on the holiday, which it calls Indigenous Peoples' Day.
- Central Ohio Transit Authority will operate on a Saturday schedule.
According to RenameColumbusDay.org, as of October 2023, 29 states plus Washington, DC have stopped celebrating Columbus Day, with Maine, Minnesota, and New Mexico being listed as those states which celebrate Indigenous People's Day, with DC also being included in that category.
While the precipice of the Axios article from Sunday is about Columbus Day being a federal holiday, that piece also acknowledged how the Biden-Harris administration took steps to focus on Indigenous People's Day. Then President Joe Biden, as we covered at the time, became the first sitting president to commemorate the occasion via a proclamation in 2021.
During her time as Biden's vice president, Kamala Harris put her focus on Indigenous Peoples' Day over X, including when she was running for president as the replacement nominee last October.
This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, I am thinking about the young Indigenous leaders I met in Arizona last week.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 14, 2024
I am counting on their leadership and looking forward to our partnership. pic.twitter.com/jZbWxeHEkQ
For generations, Indigenous people have protected their lands, languages, knowledge, and traditions.
— Vice President Kamala Harris Archived (@VP46Archive) October 9, 2023
On Indigenous Peoples' Day, we honor these many contributions and recommit to working alongside Indigenous people to ensure their communities thrive for generations to come.
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we pay respect to Tribal Nations and indigenous history. Today and every day, let us continue to celebrate and uplift the rich contributions of Indigenous peoples—their leadership has made our country stronger.
— Vice President Kamala Harris Archived (@VP46Archive) October 10, 2022
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor Tribal Nations and the invaluable contributions of Indigenous peoples. Their wisdom, ingenuity, and leadership in all walks of life has made our country stronger and more prosperous. https://t.co/k2plUzE7bB
— Vice President Kamala Harris Archived (@VP46Archive) October 11, 2021
The Biden-Harris administration may be over with, but there are still Democrats in office doubling down on Indigenous Peoples' Day, including Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico.
Sharing coverage of Trump's Truth Social post on Monday morning over X, Heinrich insisted that Columbus Day will not just be known for such an occasion in his state of New Mexico.
Not in New Mexico. pic.twitter.com/Wp4WVcd2rl
— Martin Heinrich (@SenatorHeinrich) April 28, 2025
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