Trey Gowdy, former House Oversight Committee chair, is weighing in on the name change of Columbus, Ohio, amid nationwide protests calling for the end to racial injustice.
Martha MacCallum, the host of Fox News’ “The Story,” opened the segment noting the city took down the statue of Christopher Columbus, and now thousands of Americans are signing a petition to rename a town in the city “Flavortown,” in honor of Columbus native Guy Fieri.
MacCallum asked Gowdy if he believes this is a good name for the town.
Gowdy argued there is a way to recognize the past without glorifying it.
“There is a difference between remembering our past and romanticizing our past, between acknowledging our past and celebrating our past,” Gowdy said.
Check out his comments below:
Gowdy went on to mention Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), and Donald Beatty, Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, as evidence of progress and a “new South Carolina.”
MacCallum transitioned to asking for Gowdy’s thoughts on the push by some Republicans to swap Columbus Day with Juneteenth. Juneteenth is dedicated to observing the abolition of slavery.
Gowdy acknowledged Columbus as part of the nation’s past and reiterated it is acceptable to remember that.
“Christopher Columbus is part of our past, whether the U.S. Senate likes it or not, that’s part of our country’s past,” Gowdy said. “Remember it, don’t romanticize it, and the fact that you have a day recalling that, people may celebrate it, they may not.”
Gowdy’s comments come as demonstrators push for the removal of statues and monuments across the nation.
President Donald Trump delivered remarks at the Spirit of America Showcase thanking law enforcement and explaining the consequences for “playing” with the nation’s monuments and statues.
Watch his comments below:
President Trump: "You play with our monuments or our statues, you’ll go to jail for 10 years." pic.twitter.com/cDt8l7Boe8
— The Hill (@thehill) July 2, 2020
“If you play with our monuments or our statues, you go to jail for 10 years. It’s amazing how it all stops so fast. Stops so fast,” Trump said.
He added, “We let the local authorities handle it as long as possible, but ultimately we said, ‘Let’s step in.’ And we stepped in and it stopped. Ten years in jail if they do what they were doing.”
