Ruling gives Trump administration legal green light to install new display at Philadelphia's President's House
Historians say the 11 panels soften George Washington’s role in slavery, and only two panels mention the nine people enslaved there.
- On Friday, a Philadelphia-based federal appeals court granted the Trump administration final clearance to install new exhibits at the President's House site, allowing the National Park Service to proceed.
- The panels were removed in January 2025 following an executive order from President Donald Trump that sought to review national park displays for "divisive narratives" and focus on the "greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people."
- Historians have criticized the new panels as "whitewashing" George Washington's role in enslavement; only two of the 11 new panels mention the people enslaved at the site, though the government says they are "ready to install."
- The City of Philadelphia filed an appeal requesting the court recall its order, arguing officials lacked sufficient time to respond to the government's Thursday request, maintaining the site is of "exceptional importance" to the nation.
- It remains unclear if the panels will be installed before Philadelphia celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday, following removal of the original slavery exhibit last year.
6 Articles
6 Articles
Trump White House can reinstall its sanitized history of slavery at George Washington's house, appeals court rules
New panels drop references to slave-trade routes and headlines like "The Dirty Business of Slavery," as Philadelphia fights to block their reinstallation.
Hanford Sentinel
Trump administration gets final legal OK to install own panels at President’s House, city appeals
PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia-based federal appeals court gave President Donald Trump’s administration the final go-ahead to install its own exhibit at the President’s House. The new panels, which historians have criticized for whitewashing George Washington’s role in enslaving nine people,…
Trump administration may hang new panels at President's House, federal court says
The federal government may hang new panels at the President's House exhibit in Independence National Historical Park, a Third Circuit appeals court ruled. Philadelphia has appealed the decision, saying it did not have enough time to respond to a motion by the Trump administration.
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