White House installs Christopher Columbus statue rebuilt from toppled Baltimore monument for heritage

WASHINGTON, DC: A new statue of Christopher Columbus was installed on the White House grounds Sunday, rebuilt from the remains of a monument that protesters tore down six years ago.

The 13-foot, one-ton replica traces its origins to a Columbus statue toppled in Baltimore in 2020 and later dumped into the city’s inner harbor.

Commissioned by the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, the project is part of the White House’s effort to mark America’s 250th anniversary. The statue now stands outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, across from the Renwick Gallery.

Reviving a monument destroyed in Baltimore

Artists salvaged marble fragments from the harbor and used them to piece together the new statue. Organizers said they initially approached Baltimore officials about reinstalling it locally but were turned away.

The original statue, dedicated in 1984 by former Mayor William Donald Schaefer and former President Ronald Reagan, was city-owned. It was pulled down in July 2020 by Black Lives Matter activists, who said Columbus symbolized the exploitation of Native peoples in the Americas. At the time, a city spokesperson said the monument “may represent different things to different people,” noting the broader national conversation. 

Trump highlights Italian-American heritage

For many, the statue represents cultural pride and identity. “Columbus statues have long stood as symbols of pride and unity for more than 18 million Americans of Italian descent,” said Basil M. Russo, president of the conference. He added that Columbus Day emerged after the 1891 New Orleans lynching of 11 Italian immigrants, as part of efforts to promote acceptance and assimilation.

In a letter published by the conference, President Donald Trump praised the group for bringing the statue to Washington, calling it an “incredible generosity” after the original was “torn down by anti-American rioters.” Trump has repeatedly highlighted Columbus in his remarks, emphasizing Italian heritage during last year’s Columbus Day proclamation.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told The New York Times, “In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he’s honored for generations to come.” The installation is part of broader efforts to restore monuments removed during the 2020 protests, including a statue of Albert Pike in Washington, DC, and a Confederate memorial in Arlington National Cemetery.