Recent reporting indicates that President Donald Trump plans to build a statue of Christopher Columbus on the south side of the White House. Following this reporting, the Vice President for Research at the Cato Institute, Jeff Miron, released the following statement:

“President Trump’s decision to erect a Christopher Columbus statue at the White House exemplifies why government shouldn’t be in the statue business at all. This action addresses no market failure while using taxpayer funds to take a position on a contentious historical figure. The Columbus statue will inevitably generate controversy and polarization, as we’ve seen with similar monuments nationwide.

Rather than having the federal government decide how Columbus is remembered in our nation’s history — whether as explorer-hero or architect of colonization — it should remain in private hands. Museums, documentary filmmakers, historians, educational institutions, and cultural organizations are better suited to present a complete perspective on Columbus and let citizens draw their own conclusions.

When the government erects statues, it uses its authority and our tax dollars to elevate one narrative, putting its thumb on the scale in debates that should be resolved through free discourse and private commemoration. History belongs in textbooks, classrooms, and private institutions, not imposed through government monuments that inevitably become flashpoints for conflict.”

To speak with Miron on government involvement in erecting historical statues, contact Christopher Tarvardian.