Trump Admin Restores Philadelphia Slavery Exhibit After Judge's Deadline

The National Park Service began reinstalling the panels that were removed from the memorial to enslaved Africans at the President's House in Philadelphia.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The National Park Service (NPS) has begun restoring the panels that were removed from the slavery exhibit at the President's House in Philadelphia, following a court order from U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe. The judge had set a Friday deadline for the Trump administration to reinstate the exhibit, which memorializes the nine enslaved Africans held by President George Washington at the site. The city of Philadelphia had sued the Trump administration over the removal of the exhibit, which the judge said was an attempt to 'dissemble and disassemble historical truths'.

Why it matters

The President's House exhibit in Philadelphia is an important memorial to the history of slavery in America, and its removal by the Trump administration was seen as an attempt to erase this history. The judge's ruling and order to restore the exhibit is a victory for preserving historical truth and acknowledging the country's complex past.

The details

In January 2026, the NPS removed the panels from the outdoor exhibit at the President's House in Philadelphia, which told the stories of the nine enslaved Africans held by President George Washington. This was done to comply with an executive order by President Trump to remove 'divisive, race-centered ideology' from federal cultural institutions. The city of Philadelphia sued the Trump administration over the removal, and on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe ordered the government to restore the exhibit by Friday at 5 p.m. The NPS began reinstalling the panels ahead of the deadline.

  • On January 23, 2026, the NPS removed the panels from the slavery exhibit at the President's House in Philadelphia.
  • On February 19, 2026, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe ordered the Trump administration to restore the exhibit by 5 p.m. on Friday, February 20, 2026.

The players

National Park Service (NPS)

The federal agency that manages the national parks, monuments, and other protected areas, including the President's House site in Philadelphia.

U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe

The federal judge who ordered the Trump administration to restore the slavery exhibit at the President's House in Philadelphia.

City of Philadelphia

The city that sued the Trump administration over the removal of the slavery exhibit at the President's House.

President Donald Trump

The former president who issued an executive order directing the Interior Department to remove 'divisive, race-centered ideology' from federal cultural institutions, leading to the removal of the slavery 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.”

— U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe (Court ruling)

“We will not allow anyone to erase our history today.”

— Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia Mayor (ABC News)

What’s next

The Trump administration has appealed Judge Rufe's ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and has filed an emergency motion for an immediate stay that would block the preliminary injunction granted to Philadelphia pending the federal government's appeal.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing battle over how to accurately portray and preserve the complex history of slavery in America, and the power struggles between federal and local governments over the control of historical narratives in public spaces.