President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shake hands as they pose for a photo at a world leaders’ summit on ending the war in Gaza, on October 13, 2025 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Suzanne Plunkett – Pool / Getty Images
WASHINGTON—In a message to Italian Americans on Oct. 18, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended Columbus Day, the U.S. federal holiday celebrated on the second Monday of October that has stirred controversy. She criticized what she called “woke culture,” saying that efforts to eliminate the holiday undermine the legacy of Italian Americans in the United States.
“I know that there are forces that seek to divide us, to redefine our history, and to tear down our shared traditions. They call it ‘woke culture.’ They seek to cancel our culture. They are wrong,” Meloni said in a video message to this year’s National Italian American Foundation gala dinner.
