Explorer’s Faith and Courage Honored Again With Presidential Proclamation
For more than a decade, Columbus Day has been under siege by activists and progressive lawmakers who argue that the Italian explorer’s arrival in 1492 marked the beginning of European oppression. Cities including Los Angeles, Seattle, and Minneapolis — and several states such as Maine, Vermont, and New Mexico, voted to rename the federal holiday “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.”
Statues of Columbus were defaced or torn down across the country, and schools quietly removed his name from textbooks and calendars. What was once a proud celebration of exploration, faith, and discovery became a flashpoint in America’s cultural divide.
In response to this historical narrative siege, President Donald J. Trump has officially proclaimed October 13, 2025, as Columbus Day, ordering the American flag to be displayed on all public buildings nationwide.
“I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities,” Trump declared, signing the proclamation “in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.”
The announcement marks a victory in the years-long battle over America’s historical memory — as states and cities across the nation had previously abandoned the federal holiday, replacing it with “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.”
Trump’s 2025 proclamation directly challenges the historical revision from those .
“Outrageously, in recent years, Christopher Columbus has been a prime target of a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage,” Trump wrote. “Before our very eyes, left-wing radicals toppled his statues, vandalized his monuments, and sought to exile him from our public spaces.”
“Under my leadership, those days are finally over,” he added. “Christopher Columbus was a true American hero, and every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination.”
Reclaiming an American Hero
Trump’s proclamation describes Columbus as “a giant of Western civilization” and “one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth.”
Born in Genoa, Italy in 1451, Columbus “emerged as a titan of the Age of Exploration,” the president wrote. His 1492 voyage — aboard the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria — carried with it a mission “to discover a new trade route to Asia, bring glory to Spain, and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Upon making landfall in the modern-day Bahamas, Columbus planted a cross and dedicated the land to God — an act Trump said “set in motion America’s proud birthright of faith.”
Guided by prayer and perseverance, the explorer’s discovery opened the door for what Trump called “the ultimate triumph of Western civilization” in 1776.
Restoring America’s Spirit
Trump urged Americans to follow Columbus’s example of courage and conviction — to once again dare to explore, believe, and build.
“Above all, we commit to restoring a Nation that once again dares to tame the unknown, honors our rich cultural inheritance, and offers rightful praise to our Creator above.”
