Former President Donald Trump announced that he will strongly restore the celebration of Columbus Day (Columbus Day) in the United States, at a time when the debate over the figure of Christopher Columbus and the recognition of indigenous peoples is once again polarizing public opinion.

As reported by the New York Post, Trump declared through his Truth Social network that he plans to "revive Columbus Day from the ashes", accusing Democrats of "destroying the reputation" of the Genoese navigator. The former president promised that the holiday will be celebrated "under the same traditional rules, dates and locations".

Columbus Day was established as a federal holiday in 1934, partly in recognition of the Italian-American community. However, in recent decades it has been the subject of increasing controversy due to the impact Columbus' voyages had on Native American populations. Many cities and states have chosen to replace or supplement the celebration with Indigenous Peoples' Day.

In 2021, President Joe Biden became the first president to issue a proclamation officially recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day, although without eliminating Columbus Day as a federal holiday. The measure sought to balance recognition of indigenous heritage without suppressing existing traditions.

In his recent announcement, Trump sharply criticized these efforts, calling them "woke" attempts to rewrite history. He also recalled that during his administration he ordered funding for the restoration of a Columbus statue toppled in Baltimore amid the 2020 protests.

For their part, indigenous leaders and native peoples' rights advocates have supported the shift to Indigenous Peoples' Day. Jonathan Nez, president of the Navajo Nation, noted that this transformation "will foster Navajo youth pride in their heritage and roots."

Meanwhile, Axios noted that, in reality, Columbus Day never ceased to be a federal holiday, despite the symbolic shift in the cultural narrative in many parts of the country. From this perspective, Trump's announcement has more political than legal value as he seeks to reinforce traditional symbols among his conservative base.

The debate, which on the surface revolves around a holiday, reflects at its core a broader struggle over how the United States should confront its past: whether as a nation of explorers and pioneers, or as a country that must fully acknowledge the historical wounds inflicted on indigenous peoples.

Trump's proposal is also part of his government strategy, where the preservation of traditional symbols in the face of what he calls the "woke culture" has become one of the axes of his discourse, as Axios explained.