Park History Restored
Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Restore Censored National Park History Exhibits
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A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore historical exhibits at national park sites across the country. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley issued the ruling on June 12, 2026, giving the government 21 days — until just before the Fourth of July — to put back more than 1,000 signs, exhibits, and brochures that were removed or altered under a Trump executive order.
The injunction covers all 433 National Park Service sites affected by the administration's review. Judge Kelley said history
Crowbars at Independence Hall Sparked a National Lawsuit
The conflict came to a head on January 21, 2026. NPS workers used crowbars to tear out a slavery exhibit at the President's House Site in Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park. The exhibit included a famous photograph called "The Scourged Back," showing the scarred back of an enslaved man. Philadelphia filed a lawsuit the very next day.
A month earlier, in March 2025, President Trump had signed an executive order called "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." It directed the Park Service to remove materials that "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living." Interior Secretary Doug Burgum followed up on May 20, 2025, ordering a review of everything added or changed at park sites since January 2020, according to Democracy Forward.
Judge Calls the Removals a 'White-Out Pen' Rewrite of History
Judge Kelley's 63-page ruling did not hold back. She accused the administration of trying to rewrite history with a "white-out pen" and presenting "favored fragments" instead of the full story, according to King5. She wrote that history "cannot be faithfully told while excluding the experiences of communities whose contributions, struggles, and achievements form an important part of our Nation's story."
The court also set strict rules to make sure the government complies. The NPS must file a progress report every five days, then weekly updates after that. An earlier federal judge in Philadelphia had already compared the administration's actions to the "Ministry of Truth" from George Orwell's novel 1984, according to PBS.
Public Portal Backfires: Over Half of 35,000 Comments Were Critical
To find "negative" content, the administration launched a public portal and added QR codes at park sites. Visitors were invited to flag exhibits they found objectionable. But the plan backfired. An AP analysis of the 35,000 comments submitted found that more than half were critical of the administration's removal efforts — not supportive of them.
In total, over 1,000 items — signs, brochures, and exhibits — were tagged for review across 433 park sites. Those sites draw 323 million visitors every year, according to AP. Alan Spears of the National Parks Conservation Association praised the ruling, saying it protected parks from an "unprecedented campaign to erase history and science."
Administration Vows to Appeal as Deadline Looms Before July 4
The Interior Department rejected the ruling fast. Spokesperson Katie Martin called Judge Kelley a "liberal activist judge" and said the agency is reviewing its options for an appeal, according to Washington Post. The department had argued the Biden-era exhibits were "corrosive" and designed to make visitors "ashamed of their country."
If the administration appeals and the case reaches the Supreme Court, legal experts say it could become a landmark ruling on how much power a president has over federally mandated history and science programs. For now, the government's deadline is July 3, 2026 — one day before the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, according to Reuters.
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