Washington, Oct 9 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold billions of dollars in federal funding from New York City over the omission of Little Italy from a map identifying ethnic communities, calling the exclusion a disgrace and promising immediate action.
Speaking at a Columbus Day celebration in the East Room of the White House, Trump accused city officials of ignoring the contributions of Italian Americans while recognising several other immigrant communities.
The President said a recently released map of New York City’s ethnic neighbourhoods included Little Senegal, Little Guyana, Little Haiti and Little Yemen but made no reference to Little Italy.
“And their map includes Little Senegal, Little Guyana, Little Haiti, Little Yemen, but it does not include a place called Little Italy, an unthinkable omission for New York City,” Trump said.
He described the exclusion as unacceptable and warned that the federal government could respond by restricting financial assistance to the city.
“I think it’s a disgrace; we are going to work on that immediately,” he said.
Trump went further, suggesting that Washington could withhold federal money unless the issue were addressed.
“Well, we’re not going to be sending them any of the billions and billions of dollars that they want to waste all the time,” he said.
The President did not identify the map’s issuing agency, specify which federal funds might be affected or announce any formal action against the city.
His remarks came during a White House gathering attended by Italian American community leaders, administration officials, diplomats and members of Congress.
Trump used the occasion to portray himself as a defender of Italian American heritage, accusing his political opponents of attempting to erase the community’s historical contributions.
“Those who hate our country want to see the Italian American community erased,” he said.
The President also renewed his criticism of efforts to remove statues of Christopher Columbus, describing the explorer as an important historical figure whose legacy deserved protection.
He pointed to the destruction of a Columbus statue in Baltimore in July 2020, when protesters pulled down the monument and threw its remains into the city’s harbour.
Trump praised Italian Americans who subsequently recovered fragments of the statue and raised funds for its reconstruction.
He also highlighted the placement of Columbus statues at the White House and near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
The President said his administration would continue honouring historical figures despite opposition from activists seeking the removal of controversial monuments.
He separately demanded the return of a Columbus statue to Columbus, Ohio, saying the monument should be restored to the city.
Trump’s remarks reflected his broader argument that American historical symbols and monuments must be protected from political campaigns seeking their removal.
The President also praised Italian American contributions to American culture, naming baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, singer Frank Sinatra, actor Sylvester Stallone and several prominent public figures.
He described Italian Americans as an important part of the country’s national identity and said his administration would continue celebrating their achievements.
Little Italy in Manhattan is among New York City’s best-known historic ethnic neighbourhoods. It developed as a centre of Italian immigrant life and remains associated with Italian American restaurants, businesses and cultural traditions.
Columbus Day has long been celebrated by many Italian Americans as a recognition of their heritage. The holiday has also become a subject of controversy because of Columbus’s treatment of Indigenous peoples and the broader history of European colonisation of the Americas.
–IANS
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