Watch live: Trump touts Columbus Day at White House

President Trump is hosting a Columbus Day celebration at the White House on Friday, renewing his push to honor the Italian explorer amid years of debate over his legacy.

The event comes months after Trump installed a 13-foot statue of Christopher Columbus on White House grounds — a replica of a monument that protesters toppled and threw into Baltimore’s harbor in 2020.

The president has championed the federal holiday and criticized efforts to replace or share its observance with Indigenous Peoples Day , which recognizes Native Americans and the impact of European colonization.

The celebration is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. EDT in the East Room.