Trump Administration Appeals Order to Restore George Washington Slavery Exhibit in Philadelphia

Federal judge compares administration's actions to '1984' in ruling to reinstate exhibit on enslaved people at Washington's former home.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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The Trump administration has filed an appeal against a federal judge's order to restore an exhibit on the nine people enslaved by George Washington at his former home in Philadelphia. The judge had granted an injunction requiring the National Park Service to put the exhibit materials back, comparing the administration's actions to the dystopian novel '1984' and its 'Ministry of Truth' that revised historical records.

Why it matters

The historical site is one of several where the Trump administration has been accused of quietly removing content about the history of enslaved people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and Native Americans, raising concerns about the whitewashing of American history. The exhibit's restoration is seen as an important step in accurately portraying the nation's founding and the role of slavery.

The details

Last month, National Park Service workers abruptly removed the exhibits from the Philadelphia site, prompting the city and other supporters to file a lawsuit. On Monday, U.S. Senior Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, a Republican appointee, granted an injunction ordering the materials to be restored while the lawsuit proceeds, and barring the Trump administration from creating new interpretations of the site's history. The administration then filed a notice of appeal with the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

  • On February 18, 2026, the Trump administration filed an appeal against the federal judge's order.
  • On February 15, 2026, U.S. Senior Judge Cynthia M. Rufe granted an injunction ordering the exhibit materials to be restored.

The players

Trump administration

The administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, which is appealing the federal judge's order to restore the exhibit on enslaved people at George Washington's former home in Philadelphia.

U.S. Senior Judge Cynthia M. Rufe

A federal judge appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, who granted an injunction ordering the restoration of the exhibit and barring the Trump administration from creating new interpretations of the site's history.

George Washington

The first U.S. President, who enslaved nine people at his former home in Philadelphia, which is the subject of the disputed exhibit.

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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 M. Rufe, U.S. Senior Judge (castanet.net)

What’s next

The case will now proceed to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where the Trump administration's appeal will be heard.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the ongoing tensions over how to accurately portray the history of slavery and marginalized groups in the United States, as the Trump administration's efforts to remove such content from historical sites are met with legal challenges and concerns about the whitewashing of American history.