Judge Orders Trump Administration to Restore Slavery Exhibits at Washington's Philadelphia Home

U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe ordered the federal government on February 16, 2026 to restore exhibits about slavery at the President's House site in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, returning the displays to their January 21, 2026 condition. The National Park Service had removed panels commemorating the nine enslaved people George Washington held during his Philadelphia presidency on January 22, 2026, following a Trump executive order directing agencies to eliminate content that inappropriately disparages Americans past or living. Similar removals occurred elsewhere, including signage about the mistreatment of Native Americans at the Grand Canyon.

Rufe, a George W. Bush appointee, found that the City of Philadelphia had likely shown the removal violated a 2006 cooperative agreement between the city and the Park Service. She rejected the government's argument that it held unilateral power to control the site's historical narrative, comparing that claim to the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's "1984."

The Interior Department, Park Service and U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment. The order set no restoration deadline; the government retained the option to appeal, and later reporting indicates it did seek appellate relief.