Trump Demands Columbus Restore Removed Statue as City Cites Federal Lawsuit
Speaking ahead of Columbus Day, the president urged reinstallation at City Hall, but municipal leaders point to an active federal civil rights lawsuit and stalled park plans.
Speaking Oct. 9 in the White House East Room, President Donald Trump demanded that the city of Columbus reinstall its 20-foot bronze statue of Christopher Columbus, thrusting a local six-year civic dispute back into national debate. Trump demanded that the monument be returned to the heart of the Ohio capital, declaring during his holiday remarks that to his administration the Italian explorer is a hero.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther declined substantive discussion of the statue, citing pending litigation brought by multiple Italian American organizations. In an emailed statement to The Columbus Dispatch following Trump's remarks, Ginther stated that he and the president hold different priorities. Ginther said federal leadership should concentrate on ending foreign war, addressing tariffs, lowering gas and grocery costs, and partnering with cities to reduce housing expenses rather than stoking divisions. Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin issued a sharp social media rebuke, telling Trump to keep the city's name out of his mouth and focus his remaining time in office on lowering household costs.
April Lawsuit Challenges 2020 Removal
While political exchanges escalated ahead of Monday's holiday—which the federal government designates as Columbus Day and the City of Columbus observes as Indigenous Peoples' Day—the monument's legal status remains before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
On April 7, 2026, Italian American civic organizations filed a federal lawsuit in Columbus alleging that the city's 2020 removal of the statue was unlawful and discriminatory. Jack Conte, a central Ohio resident who organized the coalition, asserted that the city deprived residents of administrative due process by acting without open hearings or formal council votes.
The lawsuit argues that the bronze memorial, sculpted by Edoardo Alfieri and dedicated on Oct. 12, 1955, constitutes an essential element of the Sister Cities Agreement established between Columbus and Genoa, Italy. According to plaintiffs, Genoa presented the artwork under a binding civic condition that it remain displayed outside City Hall forever. Attorney George Bochetto, representing the coalition, contended that public officials possess no unilateral discretion to dismantle historic civic monuments without statutory authority or adherence to binding covenants.
The federal action names the City of Columbus, Ginther, Columbus Art Commission members, and several federal cabinet departments as defendants. It contends that federal funding continues to flow to the city despite an alleged failure by federal agencies to uphold obligations under the National Historic Preservation Act for the Columbus Civic Center district. The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to be dismissed as a defendant, and the case remains active.
Stalled Park Plans and Storage
Ginther ordered the monument removed from outside City Hall on July 1, 2020, during nationwide protests following racial justice demonstrations, stating at the time that the city would no longer live in the shadow of the explorer's ugly past. The statue was transferred to municipal storage, where the controversial work remains in storage more than six years later.
City leaders subsequently sought a path forward through the Reimagining Columbus project, funded by a $2 million grant. In August 2025, after two years of community forums, the initiative released a report recommending a new park to house the statue in a setting reflecting the city's culture and heritage.
Yet the municipal government has seen no movement toward identifying a site or securing financial backing for the proposed park. With municipal recommendations languishing, Conte stated that if city leaders refuse to display the monument, they should release custody of the statue to the Piave Club or the sculptor's estate for public display elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the Columbus City Attorney's Office has maintained no comment while reviewing the case, leaving the memorial's future subject to federal judicial review.
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Speaking Oct. 9 in the White House East Room, President Donald Trump demanded that the city of Columbus reinstall its 20-foot bronze statue of Christopher Columbus, thrusting a local six-year civic dispute back into national debate. Trump demanded that the monument be returned to the heart of the Ohio capital, declaring during his holiday remarks that to his administration the Italian explorer is a hero.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther declined substantive discussion of the statue, citing pending litigation brought by multiple Italian American organizations. In an emailed statement to The Columbus Dispatch following Trump's remarks, Ginther stated that he and the president hold different priorities. Ginther said federal leadership should concentrate on ending foreign war, addressing tariffs, lowering gas and grocery costs, and partnering with cities to reduce housing expenses rather than stoking divisions. Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin issued a sharp social media rebuke, telling Trump to keep the city's name out of his mouth and focus his remaining time in office on lowering household costs.
April Lawsuit Challenges 2020 Removal
While political exchanges escalated ahead of Monday's holiday—which the federal government designates as Columbus Day and the City of Columbus observes as Indigenous Peoples' Day—the monument's legal status remains before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
On April 7, 2026, Italian American civic organizations filed a federal lawsuit in Columbus alleging that the city's 2020 removal of the statue was unlawful and discriminatory. Jack Conte, a central Ohio resident who organized the coalition, asserted that the city deprived residents of administrative due process by acting without open hearings or formal council votes.
The lawsuit argues that the bronze memorial, sculpted by Edoardo Alfieri and dedicated on Oct. 12, 1955, constitutes an essential element of the Sister Cities Agreement established between Columbus and Genoa, Italy. According to plaintiffs, Genoa presented the artwork under a binding civic condition that it remain displayed outside City Hall forever. Attorney George Bochetto, representing the coalition, contended that public officials possess no unilateral discretion to dismantle historic civic monuments without statutory authority or adherence to binding covenants.
The federal action names the City of Columbus, Ginther, Columbus Art Commission members, and several federal cabinet departments as defendants. It contends that federal funding continues to flow to the city despite an alleged failure by federal agencies to uphold obligations under the National Historic Preservation Act for the Columbus Civic Center district. The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to be dismissed as a defendant, and the case remains active.
Stalled Park Plans and Storage
Ginther ordered the monument removed from outside City Hall on July 1, 2020, during nationwide protests following racial justice demonstrations, stating at the time that the city would no longer live in the shadow of the explorer's ugly past. The statue was transferred to municipal storage, where the controversial work remains in storage more than six years later.
City leaders subsequently sought a path forward through the Reimagining Columbus project, funded by a $2 million grant. In August 2025, after two years of community forums, the initiative released a report recommending a new park to house the statue in a setting reflecting the city's culture and heritage.
Yet the municipal government has seen no movement toward identifying a site or securing financial backing for the proposed park. With municipal recommendations languishing, Conte stated that if city leaders refuse to display the monument, they should release custody of the statue to the Piave Club or the sculptor's estate for public display elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the Columbus City Attorney's Office has maintained no comment while reviewing the case, leaving the memorial's future subject to federal judicial review.
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Supporting evidence (13)
Trump demanded that the monument be returned to the heart of the Ohio capital, declaring during his holiday remarks that to his administration the Italian explorer is a hero.
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be put back into the heart of Columbus, Ohio.
Trump demanded that the monument be returned to the heart of the Ohio capital, declaring during his holiday remarks that to his administration the Italian explorer is a hero.
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"To us, he's a hero," Trump said while speaking about Christopher Columbus in the White House East Room.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther declined substantive discussion of the statue, citing pending litigation brought by multiple Italian American organizations.
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Ginther declined to comment on the statue because it is the subject of pending litigation brought by multiple Italian-American groups in the city.
In an emailed statement to The Columbus Dispatch following Trump's remarks, Ginther stated that he and the president hold different priorities.
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"The president and I clearly have different priorities," Ginther told The Dispatch in an emailed statement after Trump's remarks.
Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin issued a sharp social media rebuke, telling Trump to keep the city's name out of his mouth and focus his remaining time in office on lowering household costs.
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"Mr. President, keep my city's name out of your mouth," Hardin said.
Jack Conte, a central Ohio resident who organized the coalition, asserted that the city deprived residents of administrative due process by acting without open hearings or formal council votes.
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alleging that the decision to remove the statue discriminated against Italian Americans and didn't follow due process.
Department of Justice has moved to be dismissed as a defendant, and the case remains active.
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The DOJ has filed a request to be removed as a defendant and the lawsuit remains pending.
Ginther ordered the monument removed from outside City Hall on July 1, 2020, during nationwide protests following racial justice demonstrations, stating at the time that the city would no longer live in the shadow of the explorer's ugly past.
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Ginther said the city would no longer live in the shadow of the explorer's "ugly past."
The statue was transferred to municipal storage, where the controversial work remains in storage more than six years later.
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Over six years ago, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther ordered the removal of a Christopher Columbus statue from City Hall grounds and the controversial monument remains in storage.
In August 2025, after two years of community forums, the initiative released a report recommending a new park to house the statue in a setting reflecting the city's culture and heritage.
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In a City Hall-backed process, the Reimagining Columbus project spent two years and a $2 million grant to hold community conversations and study the topic before releasing a report in August 2025 that pitched building a new park to house the statue.
Yet the municipal government has seen no movement toward identifying a site or securing financial backing for the proposed park.
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There has been no movement on implementing the park plan, which did not specify a location or how it would be funded.
With municipal recommendations languishing, Conte stated that if city leaders refuse to display the monument, they should release custody of the statue to the Piave Club or the sculptor's estate for public display elsewhere.
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If city leaders ultimately decide not to display the statue, Conte has asked for the statue to be given to the Piave Club or the original artist's family so it can be displayed again elsewhere.
Retained video evidence
Supporting evidence (7)
On April 7, 2026, Italian American civic organizations filed a federal lawsuit in Columbus alleging that the city's 2020 removal of the statue was unlawful and discriminatory.
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The groups' lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Columbus, said the removal was illegal and discriminatory.
The lawsuit argues that the bronze memorial, sculpted by Edoardo Alfieri and dedicated on Oct. 12, 1955, constitutes an essential element of the Sister Cities Agreement established between Columbus and Genoa, Italy.
Read supporting passage
an essential element of the Sister Cities Agreement between these two cities
According to plaintiffs, Genoa presented the artwork under a binding civic condition that it remain displayed outside City Hall forever.
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The suit said the statue was given to the city under the condition that it be displayed outside City Hall forever.
It contends that federal funding continues to flow to the city despite an alleged failure by federal agencies to uphold obligations under the National Historic Preservation Act for the Columbus Civic Center district.
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abide by their obligations under the National Historic Preservation Act.
In August 2025, after two years of community forums, the initiative released a report recommending a new park to house the statue in a setting reflecting the city's culture and heritage.
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Last year, a design firm hired by the city recommended that the statue be placed in a park reflecting the city's culture and heritage.
Meanwhile, the Columbus City Attorney's Office has maintained no comment while reviewing the case, leaving the memorial's future subject to federal judicial review.
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The Columbus City Attorney's Office said it is reviewing the lawsuit and had no comment.
Retained video evidence
Supporting evidence (1)
Attorney George Bochetto, representing the coalition, contended that public officials possess no unilateral discretion to dismantle historic civic monuments without statutory authority or adherence to binding covenants.
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Public monuments cannot be removed at the unilateral discretion of elected officials, without process, authority or regard for binding agreements. Courts exist to check that kind of overreach
President Trump calls for Christopher Columbus statue to return to city of Columbus
Supporting evidence (1)
Retained video evidence
President Donald Trump calls for Christopher Columbus statue’s return to Ohio’s capital
Supporting evidence (1)
Retained video evidence