President Donald Trump urged Columbus on Friday to put its Christopher Columbus statue back on display, weighing in on a local dispute that is now before a court. “We demand that Christopher Columbus be put back into the heart of Columbus, Ohio,” Trump said at a White House event ahead of Columbus Day. He praised Columbus as a hero and framed efforts to honor the explorer as a defense of Italian American heritage. The statue, a gift from Genoa, Italy, in 1955, stood outside Columbus City Hall until July 2020. Mayor Andrew Ginther ordered its removal amid protests over racial injustice, saying it represented “patriarchy, oppression and divisiveness” to many residents. It has remained in storage. A city representative said the statue is the subject of pending litigation and that the city would not comment while the case is before the court. Italian American organizations and individuals sued the city this spring, alleging the removal was unlawful and discriminatory and seeking the statue’s return to City Hall. The dispute reflects sharply different views of what public monuments should honor. Columbus’ voyages helped initiate European colonization of the Americas; his treatment of Indigenous people included enslavement and forced labor. Some Italian Americans, meanwhile, view him as a symbol of their heritage and recognition in the United States. A separate city-led effort, Reimagining Columbus, completed two years of community engagement and design work in 2025. It recommended a park and community facility where the statue could be displayed alongside additional historical context. The proposal has no selected location or construction funding. A $2 million Mellon Foundation grant paid for planning and community engagement, not construction. Trump’s remarks came as he promoted a Columbus statue installed earlier this year on White House grounds. His Columbus Day proclamation also highlighted that monument.