By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
The president says Europeans like Christopher Columbus made this country "great," but makes no mention of the slaughter or disease he brought to the Americas.
Just like failing to mention Jews in a statement on Holocaust Rememberance Day and ignoring Pride Month altogether, President Trump has once again shown his callousness when it comes to minorities.
On Columbus Day -- a holiday honoring the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, who arrived in Hispaniola in 1492 -- Trump released the following statement:
"The permanent arrival of Europeans to the Americas was a transformative event that undeniably and fundamentally changed the course of human history and set the stage for the development of our great Nation," Trump announced in his proclamation. "Therefore, on Columbus Day, we honor the skilled navigator and man of faith, whose courageous feat brought together continents and has inspired countless others to pursue their dreams and convictions -- even in the face of extreme doubt and tremendous adversity."
Unlike former President Barack Obama's statements on Columbus Day, Trump failed to mention the disease, slavery, and violence that Columbus brought with him or the enormous price paid by indigenous people who encountered him.
"As we mark this rich history, we must also acknowledge the pain and suffering reflected in the stories of Native Americans who had long resided on this land prior to the arrival of European newcomers," which included "violence, deprivation, and disease," Obama wrote last year, adding acknowledgments of America's rich multicultural heritage.
Spinning history from a white, Eurocentric vantage point is par for the course for Trump, a man who described torch-wielding racists in Virginia as "very fine people" and kicked off his presidential campaign by saying many Mexican immigrants were "rapists."
