Christopher Columbus statue placed near White House by Trump administration

A statue of Christopher Columbus has been placed on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House, the latest effort by President Donald Trump's administration to recognise the controversial explorer.

The statue is a replica of one that was tossed into Baltimore's harbour in 2020 during Trump's first term at a time of nationwide protests against institutional racism.

Trump endorses a traditional view of Columbus as a leader of the 1492 mission, seen as the unofficial beginning of European colonisation in the Americas and the development of the modern economic and political order. But in recent years, Columbus has also been recognised as a primary example of Western Europe's conquest of the New World, its resources and its native people.

"In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he's honoured 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 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 Harbour 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 vandalised around the same time, with protesters saying the Italian explorer was responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas.

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 US 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."