Bernie Moreno calls ditching Columbus Day dumb and trashes Vegemite

Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno has no plans to mark Indigenous Peoples' Day. The Republican says the push to replace Columbus Day is "dumb."

The Youngstown exchange

A reporter caught up with Moreno in Youngstown on Monday before President Trump's midterm campaign rally there. Asked about people who honor Indigenous peoples on the holiday in place of Christopher Columbus, the senator gave a blunt answer.

He called the change dumb and said it insults Italian Americans. In his view Columbus should not be measured against modern standards for a voyage made in 1492. He also pointed out that Ohio's capital city carries the explorer's name.

The reporter pushed back that marking Indigenous Peoples' Day does not wipe out history. Moreno answered that the calendar already has "plenty of holidays" for that and said Columbus Day is meant to celebrate exploration.

A detour to Australia

The talk then turned to the reporter's home country. Moreno joked that the British had discovered Australia before calling Vegemite, the country's famous spread, "awful."

The reporter did not let that slide and stood up for Vegemite as a true delicacy.