Judge Orders Restoration of Slavery Displays at Washington's House

Federal judge grants preliminary injunction against Trump administration's removal of exhibits at historic site in Philadelphia

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily restore displays about George Washington's ownership of enslaved people at a monument on the site of his former house in Philadelphia. The judge said the government's claim to have the power to erase and alter historical accounts at the country's monuments echoed George Orwell's dystopian novel '1984'.

Why it matters

The dispute over the historical displays at the President's House Site highlights the ongoing ideological battles between the Trump administration and those who argue that the full history of the nation's founding, including the role of slavery, should be accurately represented at national monuments and historic sites.

The details

Last month, National Park Service workers removed panels, displays and video exhibits describing the local history of slavery and commemorating the nine enslaved people Washington kept at the President's House Site, a monument on the spot of a home used by Washington and President John Adams in the early days of the nation. The Park Service claimed the displays were taken down to ensure 'accuracy, honesty and alignment with shared national values.' However, the judge ruled that the government does not have the power to 'dissemble and disassemble historical truths' at the country's monuments.

  • On February 16, 2026, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction ordering the Trump administration to temporarily restore the slavery displays at the President's House Site in Philadelphia.

The players

Judge Cynthia M. Rufe

A federal judge who granted the preliminary injunction against the Trump administration's removal of the slavery displays at the President's House Site.

City of Philadelphia

The city that sued the Interior Department and the National Park Service over their decision to remove the displays about George Washington's ownership of enslaved people at the President's House Site.

Trump administration

The federal government, which removed the displays about slavery at the President's House Site as part of a broader effort to rewrite American history at national monuments and parks.

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What they’re saying

“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. It does not.”

— Judge Cynthia M. Rufe (dnyuz.com)

“Each person who visits the President's House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery, receives a false account of this country's history.”

— Judge Cynthia M. Rufe (dnyuz.com)

What’s next

Unless stayed by a higher court, the injunction will remain in effect until Judge Rufe enters her final ruling on the case.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between those who argue that the full, unvarnished history of the nation's founding, including the role of slavery, should be accurately represented at national monuments and historic sites, and the Trump administration's efforts to rewrite American history along ideological lines.