Judge Orders Trump Administration to Restore Slavery Exhibit at Historic Site

Federal judge rules removal of displays discussing slavery at President's House Site in Philadelphia was unconstitutional.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore educational displays about slavery that were removed last month from the President's House Site in Philadelphia, where George Washington lived during his presidency. The judge criticized the administration's claims that it has the power to 'erase, alter, remove and hide historical accounts' at taxpayer-funded national sites, comparing it to the government mind-control in George Orwell's '1984'.

Why it matters

The ruling is a rebuke of the Trump administration's efforts to remove exhibits discussing slavery and the challenges faced by marginalized groups from national historic sites. The judge argued that the removed displays were an important memorial and tribute to the enslaved people who lived at the President's House, and that removing them provided a 'false account' of the country's history.

The details

The 34 educational panels and a video that were removed last month were part of the exhibit at the President's House Site, the location of the residence where George Washington lived for most of his presidency and where President John Adams lived until the White House was ready in 1800. Some of the material told the story of Oney Judge, an enslaved woman who escaped to freedom and built a life in New Hampshire.

  • The displays were removed last month by the National Park Service.
  • On Monday, February 17, 2026, U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore the removed displays.

The players

U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe

A federal judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania who was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush.

The Trump Administration

The federal government under the leadership of former President Donald Trump, which had ordered the removal of the slavery exhibits from the President's House Site.

Oney Judge

An enslaved woman who escaped from George Washington's household and built a life of freedom in New Hampshire.

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What they’re saying

“The government claims it alone has the power to erase, alter, remove and hide historical accounts on taxpayer and local government-funded monuments within its control. Its claims in this regard echo Big Brother's domain in Orwell's 1984.”

— Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, U.S. District Judge

“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, U.S. District Judge

What’s next

The judge ordered the immediate restoration of the removed displays, even as she continues to hear the full case brought by the city of Philadelphia challenging the removals.

The takeaway

This ruling is a significant rebuke of the Trump administration's efforts to remove historical exhibits discussing slavery and the challenges faced by marginalized groups from national historic sites. The judge's strong language defending the importance of these displays as memorials and tributes to the enslaved underscores the vital role they play in providing an accurate account of the country's history.