Michael Knowles calls Trump's Columbus Day proclamation 'really, really great'
Michael KnowlesHost of The Michael Knowles Show
On his show, Knowles calls Columbus one of the greatest men in history, says the left hates him because he represents Western civilization, and praises Trump's Columbus Day proclamation.
Responding to
Christopher Columbus is a legend whose vision, fortitude and perseverance set in motion the history that led to the founding of the United States, and his legacy deserves to be honored rather than erased.
“He's all of the greatness of what we now call Western civilization, what we used to call Christendom. That's why they hate him. So the president issued his Columbus Day proclamation. It's really, really great.”
Original video
Where this statement fits
Trump proclaims Columbus Day and calls Columbus a 'legend'; critics urge honoring Indigenous peoples instead
In an October 7, 2026, proclamation, President Trump proclaimed October 12 as Columbus Day, called Christopher Columbus "a legend" and said, "we will never allow his legacy to be erased by radical extremists." The proclamation does not mention Indigenous Peoples' Day, which President Biden recognized alongside Columbus Day in 2021. Trump hosted a Columbus Day celebration at the White House on October 9. Commentator Michael Knowles and Sen. Bernie Moreno defended celebrating Columbus. Zeteo pointed to what it called "the horrible record Columbus holds", and MoveOn called for an end to celebrating colonizers.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
Clip posted October 12, 2026, from episode 2078 of The Michael Knowles Show, recorded on October 9, the day of the White House Columbus Day celebration. Knowles discusses Columbus and Trump's proclamation.
Before the quotation
Knowles said he had wanted to attend that day's White House Columbus Day event, and said critics have called Columbus "an enslaver and a sadist and an oppressor".
After the quotation
Later in the segment, Knowles said, "Most of the criticisms leveled against Columbus are just not true, by the way."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is honoring Christopher Columbus with Columbus Day, as Trump's 2026 proclamation and White House celebration do. Knowles praises the proclamation and calls Columbus one of the greatest men in history, so we labeled it Defended or excused. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because he later says Columbus did plenty of things wrong; it loses because he also says the main criticisms of Columbus are not true.
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- Donald Trump
More from this case
Read the full caseBernie Moreno calls marking the day as Indigenous Peoples' Day 'just dumb'
“But look, obviously Columbus, you can't judge a guy from 1492 based on today's standards. I mean, that's just silly.”Read statement
MoveOn calls for an end to celebrating colonizers
MoveOn
“This Indigenous Peoples' Day, let's be clear: No one is illegal on stolen land. It's time to stop celebrating colonizers and start honoring Indigenous peoples, their history, their sovereignty, and their fight for justice.”Read statement
Zeteo says Trump is trying to sanitize Columbus's record
Zeteo
“But while Trump attempts to sanitize the person behind this day, there is no running away from the horrible record Columbus holds.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Michael Knowles calls Trump's Columbus Day proclamation 'really, really great'". First published: 2026-10-18. Last updated: 2026-10-18. https://disputeindex.com/events/6013-on-his-show-knowles-calls-columbus-one-of