Replica Christopher Columbus statue, made with pieces of original destroyed by extremists, installed on White House grounds

Christopher Columbus statue.

A statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus was installed on the grounds of the White House on Sunday, symbolically resurrecting a statue that was toppled by protesters in Baltimore six years ago. 

The statue, a replica of one torn down by extremist Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020 and unceremoniously thrown into the Baltimore Inner Harbor, is owned by Italian American Organizations United, according to CBS News, a group that loaned it to the White House. "We are delighted the statue has found a place where it can peacefully shine and be protected," John Pica, the group's president, told CBS News. 

The statue that was toppled in 2020 was unveiled by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, and the original, like the replica, was commissioned by the Italian American Organizations United. The replica was built with pieces of the original statue that were recovered from the Harbor.

Columbus in recent years has been portrayed as a criminal by far leftists, but President Trump has expressed a strong interest in restoring the memory of Columbus' legacy, including his fateful 1492 voyage that ended with him discovering what would become the United States of America. 

"In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he's honored as such for generations to come," a White House spokesperson said, referring to a famous quote from an episode of The Sopranos that has become a social media meme.