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The statue of the explorer, a replica of one that protesters toppled in 2020, was placed outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
March 22, 2026
A statue of Christopher Columbus was installed on the grounds of the White House early Sunday morning, as part of President Trump’s effort to position the explorer as a hero after monuments to him were removed across the country.
The statue is a replica of one that protesters in Baltimore tore down and dumped into the city’s Inner Harbor in the summer of 2020. The statue’s marble pieces were retrieved from the harbor, and a Maryland artist used them to guide the creation of the replica.
The new statue was erected sometime overnight on the north side of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, facing Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, which houses offices for White House staff and is next to the West Wing. The statue is behind fencing.
“In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he’s honored as such for generations to come,” said Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, in a statement.
The toppling of the original statue stemmed from the racial justice protests that erupted after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. More than 30 statues were dismantled in the span of four months, either torn down by protesters or ordered removed by officials.
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