Columbus Day Is Monday. Honor the Explorer, Tell the Whole Story, and Keep the Holiday
President Trump proclaimed Oct. 12 as Columbus Day and put a replica of Baltimore's toppled statue on the White House grounds. In our view, the best defense of the holiday is a confident, honest one.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 9, 2026 | 5-min read On the Fourth of July in 2020, rioters in Baltimore pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus that President Ronald Reagan had dedicated in 1984, and threw it into the harbor [1]. This year, an exact replica of that statue stands on the White House grounds [1]. On Wednesday, President Trump proclaimed Monday, Oct. 12, as Columbus Day, and directed that the American flag fly on all public buildings in honor of the explorer [1]. In our view, he is right to defend the holiday. And the strongest way to defend it is to tell the whole story, with pride and with honesty. Key Takeaways President Trump signed the 2026 Columbus Day proclamation on Oct. 7, setting the holiday for Monday, Oct. 12 [1]. Congress, by a joint resolution of April 30, 1934, modified in 1968 (36 U.S.C. 107), asked the President to proclaim the second Monday of October as Columbus Day [1]. The holiday carries special meaning for Italian-Americans, and the proclamation honors them directly [1]. Here