GOP Sen. John Thune Roasted For Refusing To Celebrate Columbus Day

Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota was mocked Monday by X users for not celebrating Columbus Day.

Thune posted a tribute to “Native American Day” on X in an attempt to acknowledge their contributions to the United States.

“Today we celebrate Native American Day. I’m proud to join South Dakotans in honoring the heritage and contributions of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people,” he said in his post.

Today we celebrate Native American Day. I’m proud to join South Dakotans in honoring the heritage and contributions of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people. pic.twitter.com/YIVb51L53C

— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) October 13, 2025

This led to a flurry of comments attacking Thune for posting a tribute to Native American tribes instead of the Genoese-born Christopher Columbus. (RELATED: DANIEL MCCARTHY: Columbus Day Celebrates Our Civilization)

“ITS COLUMBUS DAY AND JOHN THUNE IS A BITCH,” Raheem Kassam, a prominent political figure, said in response in a post to X. 

ITS COLUMBUS DAY AND JOHN THUNE IS A BITCH. https://t.co/M0VeU6vcee

— Raheem J. Kassam (@RaheemKassam) October 13, 2025

“You don’t deserve to govern here. It’s Columbus Day retard. If you don’t even know our holidays you don’t belong in office,” another user said.

Another X user criticized Thune for calling on Donald Trump to drop out of the presidential race in 2016 when he first ran. “Donald Trump should withdraw and Mike Pence should be our nominee effective immediately,” Thune said in a post to X in 2016.

The senator previously said he celebrated “Native American Day” in place of Columbus Day in honor of his state’s recognition of the role played by Native American tribes in the area in a 2019 statement.

Trump said that he was bringing Columbus Day “back from the ashes” and railed against Democrats for being woke and tearing down statues of the famous explorer in a post to Truth Social on April 27.

“I’m bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes. The Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much. They tore down his Statues, and put up nothing but “WOKE,” or even worse, nothing at all! Well, you’ll be happy to know, Christopher is going to make a major comeback,” Trump said. “I am hereby reinstating Columbus Day under the same rules, dates, and locations, as it has had for all of the many decades before!”

The rest of the comments under Thune’s post are mostly filled with memes and criticism for not acknowledging Columbus Day. As of now, he has not deleted his original post.

A spokesperson for Thune told the Daily Caller that South Dakota has celebrated “Native American Day” for 35 years and the senator has recognized it annually.