A newly constructed statue of Christopher Columbus was installed on Sunday on the grounds of the White House, using materials recovered from a monument that was torn down and discarded in Baltimore in 2020, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
The 13-foot, one-ton statue is a replica created using fragments of the original Columbus monument that had stood in Baltimore before it was destroyed and thrown into the city’s Inner Harbor during protests.
The new installation is part of the White House’s recognition of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
NEW: President Trump is reportedly planning to install a statue of Christopher Columbus on White House grounds pic.twitter.com/AlE1tyJVxO [2]
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 4, 2026 [3]
The statue has been placed outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, according to officials involved in the project.
The reconstruction effort was commissioned by the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations.
According to the group, artists recovered shards of marble from the harbor following the destruction of the original statue and used those materials to help recreate the monument.
After completing the project, the artists approached Baltimore officials about reinstalling the statue, but the city declined to place the monument back in its original location.
The group then coordinated with the White House to have the statue installed in Washington.
Christopher Columbus statue installed on the White House grounds early Sunday morning.
This was placed in response to the statue of him that was toppled in Baltimore by rioting leftists in 2020.
John A. Pica, president of Italian American Organizations United, a Baltimore group… pic.twitter.com/xnuij7NSjU [4]
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 22, 2026 [5]
“Columbus statues have long stood as symbols of pride and cultural identity for more than 18 million Americans of Italian descent,” Basil M. Russo, president of the organization, said in a statement.
“For over a century, Columbus’s legacy helped Italian immigrants navigate prejudice and hardship, serving as a source of unity and belonging as they built new lives in this country.”
Russo also pointed to the historical significance of Columbus Day within the Italian American community.
“Columbus Day itself emerged in the aftermath of the 1891 New Orleans lynching, when 11 Italian immigrants were killed by a mob of thousands, an event that prompted a national effort to promote the acceptance and assimilation of Italian Americans,” Russo continued.
“This history remains central to why these monuments matter.”
The original Baltimore statue had been dedicated in 1984 by then-Mayor William Donald Schaefer and former President Ronald Reagan.
It was removed in July 2020 when Black Lives Matter activists pulled it down, arguing that Columbus was responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native populations in the Americas.
At the time, the monument was owned by the city of Baltimore. A spokesperson for then-Mayor Jack Young said the statue represented different perspectives depending on the viewer.
“We understand the dynamics that are playing out in Baltimore are part of a national narrative,” the spokesperson told the Baltimore Sun.
The installation of the new statue comes after President Donald Trump signed a proclamation last year recognizing Columbus and Columbus Day.
“Columbus Day — we’re back, Italians,” Trump declared after signing the proclamation. “We love the Italians.”
“We are back, Italians”
“We love the Italians”President Donald J Trump – Epic !!! pic.twitter.com/fBxxk1gUVV [6]
— Mambo Italiano (@mamboitaliano__) October 9, 2025 [7]
The White House has not issued an official comment regarding the installation of the statue.