The White House Yet Again Tweeted Something Gross: “And In This House, Christopher Columbus Is a Hero”

The White House’s social media accounts certainly love getting under people’s skin. Whether it’s using the likenesses and music of popular artists without their permission, or attempting to meme its way through horrifying historical events, they’ve completely shifted the reputation of what should be a normal account for government updates.

This was definitely the case on Thursday, when the account once again went viral for… hyping up Christopher Columbus. The account shared a screenshot of one of Trump’s posts from Truth Social, in which he asks people to “Watch for the Christopher Columbus Memorial Circle Fountain, by Union Station, opening soon!” Their accompanying caption was: “And in this house, Christopher Columbus is a hero.”

The fountain in question has been in Washington D.C. since 1912, with its initial opening being celebrated with several days of parades and festivities. Around the 2010s, it began to look a little worse for wear, and the plumbing was no longer functioning. While the fountain has been in contention for a grant since 2016, the Trump administration has fast-tracked the restoration in recent years. According to a report from The Washington Post, the National Park Service has dedicated at least $54.2 million to repair the fountain and six others in the area.

While a government spending money to repair public spaces should theoretically be a good thing, (even then, as some reporting has put it, the millions of dollars are going towards fixing a landmark that “only Amtrak passengers know.”) the fountain’s connection to the larger culture war that Republicans have started around Columbus has made it even dicier. The past decade has brought a major reexamination of Columbus and his history, and particularly the horrifying acts he allegedly committed while exploring and “discovering” America.

More people than ever are aware that Columbus was racist and most likely raped and assaulted countless women and girls, and a number of monuments or things named after him have been tweaked as a result. And, of course, there’s Columbus Day, which many have begun to refer to as Indigenous Peoples Day in recent years, in order to better center and celebrate the cultures that were affected by Columbus’ colonization.

And yet (perhaps unsurprisingly) a lot of high-profile Republicans have doubled down on defending Columbus. The White House’s tweet has garnered a lot of criticism, between people calling out Columbus’ racism and allegations of pedophilia, and people just arguing that Trump’s focus on boosting Columbus’ image is just a distraction from everything else that’s going on.

Here We Go Again…

The sad thing is, this isn’t even the first time that the official White House account has tweeted this exact sentiment. Back in March, when the Trump administration placed a statue of Columbus on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the account celebrated the news by tweeting: “in this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he’s honored as such for generations to come.”

At the time, John Pica, a Maryland lobbyist and president of the Italian American Organizations United, the organization that owns and agreed to loan the statue to the White House, said “we are delighted the statue has found a place where it can peacefully shine and be protected.”

Created by Will Hemsley, a sculptor based in Centreville on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the statue is, actually, a replica of one that made headlines a few years ago. Back in 2020, as Black Lives Matter marches were held in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, protesters toppled Baltimore’s Columbus statue and literally threw it into the nearby harbor. While it wasn’t the only Colmbus statue to be vandalized at the time, the symbolism of the action in proximity to the Boston Tea Party caught a lot of attention at the time.

Just this week, the very same Baltimore statue made headlines, after vandals placed a toilet covered with literature on top of the pedestal that used to hold it. Duane “Shorty Davis”, a local activist in the area, later took credit for the installation in an Instagram video, arguing “this toilet represents how you treat us.” Local authorities decided not to investigate the incident, which caught the ire of Maryland State Delegate Nino Mangione.

“I am appalled by this disrespectful action of some lawless thug again desecrating the Columbus statue,” Mangione explained in an interview with WMAR-TV News. “We must not continue to turn a blind eye to this blatant racism the way [Baltimore] Mayor [Brandon] Scott and others have. Their continued tolerance of this type of behavior is inexcusable and is now on display for the entire community to see.”

(featured image: The White House Gallery)

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