Judge orders Trump administration to restore Philadelphia slavery exhibit

Judge accuses the US government of trying to rewrite history by taking down the exhibit in the city of Philadelphia.Published On 17 Feb 2026A judge in the United States has ordered the National Park Service (NPS) to restore an exhibit about nine people who were enslaved by former President George Washington at a historical site in the city of Philadelphia.The ruling on Monday came after Philadelphia sued President Donald Trump’s administration over the takedown of several explanatory panels at the Independence National Historical Park, the site where Washington lived with his wife in the 1790s.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,454list 2 of 4Two killed, 3 critical after shooting at hockey rink in US’s Rhode Islandlist 3 of 4Lebanon sets four months for second phase of Hezbollah disarmamentlist 4 of 4Hyatt Hotels chairman Thomas Pritzker steps down over Epstein tiesend of listThe removal came in response to a Trump executive order to restore “truth and sanity to American history” at the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks. It directed the Interior Department to ensure the sites do not display elements that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living”.US District Judge Cynthia Rufe ruled that all materials must be restored in their original condition while the lawsuit challenging the removal’s legality plays out. She prohibited Trump officials from installing replacements that explain the history differently.In her scathing 40-page decision, Rufe accused the federal government of trying to erase US history, much like the fictional authoritarian regime that ruled George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984.“As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto ‘Ignorance is Strength,’ this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims – to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts,” Rufe wrote. “It does not.”Rufe had warned Trump administration lawyers during a hearing in January that they were making “dangerous” and “horrifying” statements when they said government officials could choose which parts of US history to display at NPS sites.