{"id":2457206,"date":"2025-07-09T03:05:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T07:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mamdanis-x-post-about-columbus-statue-ignites-italian-american-backlash-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-07-09T03:06:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T07:06:59","slug":"mamdanis-x-post-about-columbus-statue-ignites-italian-american-backlash-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mamdanis-x-post-about-columbus-statue-ignites-italian-american-backlash-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani\u2019s X post about Columbus statue ignites Italian American backlash &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmamdanis-x-post-about-columbus-statue-ignites-italian-american-backlash-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2457206&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>new York city mayoral candidate Zohran mamdani sparked backlash from teh Italian American community after an old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-this-average-american-is-voting-for-donald-trump\/\" title=\"Why This Average American Is Voting for Donald ...\">social media post<\/a> resurfaced in which he shared an image of a hand giving the middle finger to a Christopher Columbus statue, accompanied by the words &#8220;Take it down.&#8221; The post, originally made in June 2020 during the wave of protests following George Floyd&#8217;s death, called for the removal of Columbus statues-a contentious issue as many statues were being taken down or covered at the time.Italian Americans, a meaningful ethnic group in the NYC area, criticized Mamdani&#8217;s comments as disrespectful. Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition, and the National Italian American Foundation voiced strong support for preserving Columbus statues, emphasizing Columbus&#8217;s historical meaning and his symbolic importance to Italian American heritage.The controversy also <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >drew reactions<\/a> from public figures like joe Piscopo,who rejected calls to remove the statue. The issue highlights ongoing tensions around Columbus monuments and cultural identity in New York City.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Mamdani&rsquo;s X post about Columbus statue ignites Italian American backlash<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2169297\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>New York City mayoral candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/zohran-mamdani\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Zohran Mamdani<\/a> drew the ire of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/italians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Italian<\/a> American community after a resurfaced social media post by the self-described democratic socialist denigrating a statue of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/columbus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Christopher Columbus<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Mamdani&rsquo;s X account <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ZohranKMamdani\/status\/1273410176003997697\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">posted<\/a> a picture of a left hand giving a middle finger to a Columbus statue in June 2020. The image was found and shared again this week on social media, bringing noteworthy attention to the five-year-old post. Above the photo, Mamdani wrote, &ldquo;Take it down,&rdquo; seemingly calling for the statue&rsquo;s removal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3466264\/renaming-palm-beach-county-street-president-donald-j-trump-boulevard\/\">Trump hails renaming of Palm Beach County street in his honor: &#8216;President Donald J. Trump Boulevard&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3466243\/jim-clyburn-gives-nod-to-gavin-newsom-2028-ambitions-during-south-carolina-visit\/\">Jim Clyburn gives nod to Gavin Newsom&#8217;s 2028 ambitions during South Carolina visit<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3466220\/james-comey-john-brennan-under-investigation-doj-trump-russia-probe\/\">James Comey and John Brennan under investigation by DOJ for Trump-Russia inquiry<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Take it down. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7Bmis8hnnh\">pic.twitter.com\/7Bmis8hnnh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZohranKMamdani\/status\/1273410176003997697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 18, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In 2020, amid the nationwide riots after George Floyd&rsquo;s death, left-wing agitators called to take down statues of Christopher Columbus around the nation, with many trying to do so <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ju8p1-wAhYQ\">illegally<\/a>. Several Democratic mayors succumbed to the political pressure from these groups. They ordered <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/721658\/chicago-mayor-lori-lightfoot-has-columbus-statue-taken-down-in-middle-of-night\/\">statues of Columbus removed<\/a> altogether or covered up, including the then-mayors of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, and Philadelphia, Jim Kenney.<\/p>\n<p>Italian Americans represent a significant ethnic group in the New York City metropolitan area. An estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/statisticalatlas.com\/metro-area\/New-York\/New-York\/Ancestry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2.6 million people of Italian heritage<\/a> live in the Big Apple. When Mamdani&rsquo;s old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/anti-cop-state-spox-offers-herself-up-as-view-cohost\/\" title=\"Anti...Cop State Spox Offers Herself Up as \u2018View\u2019 Cohost\">post resurfaced<\/a>, many Italian American organizations and individuals rebuked it, according to multiple sources.<\/p>\n<p>Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition, was critical of Mamdani&rsquo;s comments and told the <em>New York Post<\/em> they were &ldquo;disrespectful to the Italian American community.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We will defend Columbus Day and Columbus statues,&rdquo; Vivolo said to the <em>New York Post.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He is being disrespectful to the Italian American community. If you offend one community, you offend all communities,&rdquo; he <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/07\/07\/us-news\/mamdani-stokes-italian-american-outrage-after-christopher-columbus-tweet-resurfaces\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said<\/a>. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he will be mayor for all the people of New York City.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niaf.org\/\">National Italian American Foundation<\/a> told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> it supported maintaining the Columbus statue in New York City, citing his contributions to human civilization.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As an organization devoted to the promotion and preservation of Italian American heritage, NIAF unequivocally supports maintaining the Columbus statue in New York City,&rdquo; said NIAF. &ldquo;We believe that Christopher Columbus&rsquo; courageous voyage was the catalyst that initiated over 500 years of immigration to the Americas by people from every corner of the Earth &mdash; all of whom were seeking a better life for their families.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3465713\/nypd-lawsuit-corruption-police-department\/\"><strong>FORMER NYPD OFFICIALS FILE SERIES OF LAWSUITS ALLEGING CORRUPTION IN POLICE DEPARTMENT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump scolded left-wing efforts to demonize and devalue Columbus Day earlier this year. He blasted Democrats for doing &ldquo;everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus&rdquo; and vowed to bring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/magazine-your-land\/3397550\/make-columbus-day-great-again\/\">&ldquo;Columbus Day back from the ashes.&rdquo;<\/a> Entertainer, radio show host, and author Joe Piscopo, who had a conversation with Trump about the significance of Columbus Day before the president&rsquo;s comments about the explorer, was also critical of Mamdani&rsquo;s social media post about wanting to remove the Columbus statue.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Not gonna happen. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tjnfq43TOE\">https:\/\/t.co\/tjnfq43TOE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Joe Piscopo (@JrzyJoePiscopo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JrzyJoePiscopo\/status\/1942546078621909267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 8, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Not gonna happen,&rdquo; the famous Italian American <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JrzyJoePiscopo\/status\/1942546078621909267\">said<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2169297\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2169297\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mamdani&#8217;s X post on Columbus statue sparks Italian American outrage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2677,"featured_media":2457207,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Columbus.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[58690,42474,58691,56552,32076],"class_list":["post-2457206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-columbus-statue","tag-cultural-controversy","tag-italian-american-backlash","tag-mamdani","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Columbus.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2677"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2457206"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2457210,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457206\/revisions\/2457210"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2457207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2457206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2457206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2457206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}