Bernie Moreno calls marking the day as Indigenous Peoples' Day 'just dumb'
Bernie MorenoRepublican U.S. senator from Ohio
Asked about people marking the day as Indigenous Peoples' Day, Moreno calls the idea an insult to Italian Americans and says Columbus cannot be judged by today's standards.
“But look, obviously Columbus, you can't judge a guy from 1492 based on today's standards. I mean, that's just silly.”
Interview
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
Interview
About this source
TMZ video of a brief interview in which a reporter asks Sen. Bernie Moreno about people celebrating the day as Indigenous Peoples' Day instead of Columbus Day.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
A TMZ reporter asked Moreno about people celebrating the day as Indigenous Peoples' Day. Moreno answered, "Ah, that's just dumb. It's an insult to Italian-Americans."
After the quotation
He added that the holiday "celebrates a moment in history" and that celebrating it does not mean saying "that was right and this was wrong".
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. Moreno defends celebrating Columbus, calling the alternative an insult to Italian Americans and saying Columbus should not be judged by today's standards, so we labeled it Defended or excused. The closest competing label is Minimized, because he sets aside criticism of Columbus's conduct as a matter of changed standards; it loses because his main point is that the holiday should be kept.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full caseMoveOn 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
Michael Knowles calls Trump's Columbus Day proclamation 'really, really great'
“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.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Bernie Moreno calls marking the day as Indigenous Peoples' Day 'just dumb'
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/6015-asked-about-people-marking-the-day-as-indigenous
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Bernie Moreno calls marking the day as Indigenous Peoples' Day 'just dumb'". First published: 2026-10-18. Last updated: 2026-10-18. https://disputeindex.com/events/6015-asked-about-people-marking-the-day-as-indigenous