Judge deals blow to Trump administration, orders slavery exhibit restored at iconic Philly landmark

18 Feb 2026 By foxnews

A federal judge has ordered the National Park Service (NPS) to restore a slavery-related exhibit that was removed from the President's House site.

The President's House, part of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, commemorates nine enslaved people who were owned by George Washington.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe granted a preliminary injunction requiring the exhibit's restoration.

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An Interior Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital an appeal was filed later that night.

In the order, Judge Rufe wrote that the situation was "as if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's '1984' now existed" - invoking a slogan from the iconic novel.

"'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," wrote Rufe.

"It does not," the judge added.

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The Interior Department spokesperson said the agency disagrees with the court's ruling.

"The National Park Service routinely updates exhibits across the park system to ensure historical accuracy and completeness," said the spokesperson.

"If not for this unnecessary judicial intervention, updated interpretive materials providing a fuller account of the history of slavery at Independence Hall would have been installed in the coming days," the spokesperson added.

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On Jan. 22, NPS removed 34 educational panels and deactivated accompanying video exhibits under an executive order that directed the Secretary of the Interior to remove content that "inappropriately disparage[s] Americans past or living" - and focuses instead on "the greatness of the achievements ... of the American people," as FOX29 reported.

NPS was directed to look at the merchandise sold to make sure all retail items complied by Dec. 19.

"The goal is to keep National Parks focused on their core mission: preserving natural and cultural resources for the benefit of all Americans," an Interior Department spokesperson said to Fox News Digital at the time.

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Retail items are considered "public-facing content," making them subject to the order.

If items were identified as "non-compliant," those items were then "removed from sale immediately."