Trump tells Italian Americans at White House he 'resurrected' Columbus
At a White House event for Italian Americans on Friday, Trump said he had "resurrected" Christopher Columbus and attacked "radical left communists" he said want to abolish Columbus Day. Left- and right-leaning outlets stress different context.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2President Donald Trump told several hundred Italian Americans in the White House East Room on Friday, 9 October, that he had "resurrected" Christopher Columbus. Raw StoryL “Addressing several hundred Italian Americans in the White House East Room on Friday” Read at Raw Story ↗ New York PostR ““I resurrected Christopher Columbus,” he announced to great applause from the Italians in the room.” Read at New York Post ↗ Mixed · 2Trump said the explorer had been "rehabbed 100 percent" and was "back to where he should be". New York PostR ““He’s been rehabbed 100 percent, and he’s been resurrected in the true sense,” he added. “He’s back to where he should be.”” Read at New York Post ↗ Raw StoryL “the explorer has "been rehabbed 100 percent."” Read at Raw Story ↗ Left · 1The event came three days before Columbus Day and less than a month before the midterm elections; Raw Story, citing The New York Times, said Trump's approval has sagged across nearly every demographic, and it quoted him saying "The reason I get all of the Italian vote, I really believe." Raw StoryL “The event came three days before Columbus Day and less than a month before the midterm elections, as Trump's approval has sagged with voters across nearly every demographic”“"The reason I get all of the Italian vote, I really believe.” Read at Raw Story ↗
Mixed · 2Trump said "radical left communists" hate Columbus and want to abolish Columbus Day, and called those running against him "lunatics". Raw StoryL “"As you know, the radical left communists hate Columbus and they want to abolish Columbus Day,"” Read at Raw Story ↗ New York PostR ““He wants to abolish Columbus,” the president said. “We have people — these lunatics that are running.” Read at New York Post ↗ Mixed · 2The New York Post reported that Trump singled out Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, saying he wanted to eliminate the holiday; Raw Story said Columbus has hardly been a campaign issue this cycle. New York PostR “He also singled out Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, claiming he wanted to eliminate the holiday” Read at New York Post ↗ Raw StoryL “though the 15th-century navigator has hardly been a campaign issue this election cycle.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Mixed · 2Trump already has one Columbus statue on White House grounds, a replica of the Baltimore monument that protesters toppled and threw into the harbour in 2020, and plans to add a second in the Rose Garden. New York PostR “is a replica of a statue that protesters toppled and dumped into Baltimore’s harbor during racial justice protests in 2020” Read at New York Post ↗ Raw StoryL “intends to add another to the Rose Garden.” Read at Raw Story ↗
Right · 1According to the Post, the second statue was crafted by the designer of the White House heliport and shows Columbus with four female figures symbolising Europe, America, Asia and Africa; the Rose Garden already holds statues of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. New York PostR “crafted by the designer of the White House heliport. It depicts the explorer surrounded by four female figures symbolizing Europe, America, Asia, and Africa.”“where it will join statues of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson” Read at New York Post ↗ Mixed · 2Trump also said Italian Americans had been "a very discriminated group" and described filmmakers' dropping of Italian names for mobsters as discrimination; Raw Story quoted him saying "The Italians. They love it." New York PostR “Italian-Americans had been “a very discriminated group,” the president noted” Read at New York Post ↗ Raw StoryL “"I said, 'No, no, you have to understand. The Italians. They love it,'"” Read at Raw Story ↗ Mixed · 2He praised guests including opera singer Christopher Macchio, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and Rudy Giuliani, whose son Andrew attended, and Raw Story said he called Brett Rugo, whose company built the South Lawn helipad, "a serious Italian". New York PostR “including opera singer Christopher Macchio, who sang at the event, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani” Read at New York Post ↗ Raw StoryL “calling him "a serious Italian."” Read at Raw Story ↗
Left · 1Raw Story, citing The Times, said Trump may need to repair ties with Italian American voters after criticising Pope Leo XIV, turning on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and threatening tariffs on Italian pasta makers; it also noted the presence of donor John Cafaro, whose firm won a no-bid contract for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Raw StoryL “he has gone after Pope Leo XIV, turned on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after she criticized those attacks, and threatened steep tariffs on Italian pasta makers.”“whose firm landed a no-bid contract to install a water purification system in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which then turned green with algae” Read at Raw Story ↗ Right · 1The Post gave background that Biden proclaimed Indigenous Peoples Day in 2021 as the federal holiday replacing Columbus Day, and Trump brought Columbus Day back. New York PostR “In 2021, President Joe Biden formally proclaimed Indigenous Peoples Day as the federal holiday to replace Columbus Day. Trump brought Columbus Day back to the calendar.” Read at New York Post ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Sceptical, electoral lens: Trump 'boasted' and pitched himself to a voting bloc amid sagging approval, with his past clashes with Italians and a donor's contract as context.
- Emphasis
- Midterm politics, Trump's strained relations with Italian figures, the 'they love it' mafia remark, Cafaro's no-bid contract.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits Trump's praise of Italian Americans, named guests like Alito, and the second statue's design.
- Charged language
- “boasted”“single-handedly”“toppled”
- For example
-
“President Donald Trump boasted that he single-handedly revived a polarizing figure from American history while pitching himself to a key voting bloc.” — Raw Story
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Celebratory: Trump restoring Columbus after being 'canceled' and defending Italian Americans against the 'radical left'.
- Emphasis
- Trump's praise of Italian Americans, the new statue, named guests, the attack on El-Sayed, and Biden's holiday change.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits approval ratings, Trump's disputes with Pope Leo XIV and Meloni, and the Cafaro contract.
- Charged language
- “canceled”“radical left communists”“rehabbed”
- For example
-
“President Trump announced he’s resurrected Christopher Columbus from being canceled and blasted “radical left communists” who tried to destroy the explorer’s legacy.” — New York Post
What every side reports
- Trump said at a White House event for Italian Americans on Friday that he had 'resurrected' Columbus and that Columbus was 'rehabbed 100 percent'.
- He attacked 'radical left communists' and 'lunatics' over Columbus Day.
- One Columbus statue, a replica of the one toppled in Baltimore in 2020, is already on White House grounds and another is planned for the Rose Garden.
- Trump discussed Hollywood's use of Italian names for mobsters.
Where accounts differ
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What the remarks mean
- Left
- A boast aimed at winning Italian American votes while approval sags; Columbus is hardly a campaign issue.
- Right
- A defence of Columbus and Italian Americans against cancellation by the 'radical left'.
Donald Trump person
Presents himself as having restored Columbus and as a friend of Italian Americans, saying the left wants to abolish Columbus Day and that Columbus will be 'protected'.
““We love Italian Americans,” he said to great applause. “I love you. That’s why I’m here.”” — New York Post
“He's going to be so protected, like nobody's ever been protected before.” — Raw Story
Christopher Columbus person
Described by Trump as a 'hero'; the Post notes his legacy was questioned over violence against Native Americans, and Raw Story calls him a polarizing figure.
“Columbus is a “hero,” Trump noted.” — New York Post
“a polarizing figure from American history” — Raw Story
Left1 article
-
Trump claims he ‘resurrected’ toppled historical figure in riff on what Italians ‘love'
Critical Frames the remarks as electoral boasting, adding context on Trump's rifts with Italian figures and a donor's contract.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
-
-
Sympathetic Presents Trump as reviving a canceled hero and defending Italian Americans, echoing his language.
- 9 Oct 22:23 First BreitbartR Trump Vows to Protect Christopher Columbus from Radical Left
- 9 Oct 23:20 +56m Raw StoryL Trump claims he ‘resurrected’ toppled historical figure in riff on what Italians ‘love'
- 10 Oct 00:06 +1h 43m New York PostR Trump ‘resurrects’ Christopher Columbus with new statue, blasts ‘radical left communists’ who tried to cancel explorer
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.