Judge Orders Restoration of Washington Slavery Exhibit Removed by Trump Administration

Exhibit about nine enslaved people at Washington's Philadelphia home must be reinstalled, federal judge rules.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore an exhibit about nine people enslaved by George Washington at his former home in Philadelphia. The exhibit was removed last month in response to a Trump executive order aimed at ensuring historical sites do not 'inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.' The judge compared the administration's actions to the 'Ministry of Truth' in George Orwell's '1984' and said the government does not have the power to 'dissemble and disassemble historical truths.'

Why it matters

The ruling is a victory for advocates who argued the Trump administration was attempting to whitewash history by removing content about enslaved people and other marginalized groups from national parks and historical sites. The exhibit included biographical details about the nine enslaved individuals who lived with the Washingtons in Philadelphia, including two who escaped.

The details

The exhibit, created two decades ago in a partnership between the city of Philadelphia and federal officials, was removed on January 22 in response to a Trump executive order 'restoring truth and sanity to American history.' The order directed the Interior Department to ensure sites do not display elements that 'inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.' U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, ruled that the exhibit must be restored to its original condition while a lawsuit challenging the removal's legality plays out.

  • The exhibit was removed on January 22, 2026.
  • Judge Rufe issued her ruling on February 17, 2026, which was President's Day, a federal holiday honoring George Washington's legacy.

The players

George Washington

The first U.S. president, who enslaved nine people at his former home in Philadelphia.

Oney Judge

One of the nine enslaved people at Washington's Philadelphia home, who escaped to New Hampshire in 1796.

Hercules

Another of the nine enslaved people, who escaped from Mount Vernon in 1797 and lived under the name Hercules Posey in New York City.

Cynthia Rufe

The U.S. District Judge who ruled that the exhibit must be restored, comparing the Trump administration's actions to the 'Ministry of Truth' in George Orwell's '1984.'

Donald Trump

The former U.S. president whose administration removed the exhibit about enslaved people at Washington's former home.

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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.”

— Cynthia Rufe, U.S. District Judge

“Philadelphians fought back, and I could not be more proud of how we stood together.”

— Malcolm Kenyatta, Pennsylvania State Representative

What’s next

Federal officials can appeal the ruling, and the judge did not provide a timeline for when the exhibit must be restored.

The takeaway

This ruling is a victory for advocates who argued the Trump administration was attempting to whitewash history by removing content about enslaved people and other marginalized groups from national parks and historical sites. It underscores the importance of preserving and accurately portraying the full history of America, even when it includes uncomfortable truths about the nation's past.