Philadelphia Sues Interior After Trump History Order Triggers Removal of Slavery Panels at President’s House Site
National Park Service crews removed interpretive panels about the nine people enslaved at the President’s House site in Independence National Historical Park—leaving bolt holes and “panel shadows,” sparking emotional public reaction—and the City of Philadelphia has sued Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and acting NPS Director Jessica Bowron, arguing the city shares design authority and that slavery is central to the site’s story. Interior says the removals comply with President Trump’s executive order to eliminate “divisive” content and called the lawsuit frivolous, while critics and preservation groups say the action is part of a broader administration effort to reshape museum and park narratives, from Smithsonian exhibit changes to other removals.
📌 Key Facts
- On Jan. 23, 2026, National Park Service crews removed interpretive panels at the President’s House site in Independence National Historical Park that contained biographical details of nine people enslaved by George and Martha Washington; the panels’ bolt holes and 'shadows' remain and the enslaved people’s names are still engraved on a cement wall at the entrance.
- The City of Philadelphia has filed suit against Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and acting NPS Director Jessica Bowron, arguing the city's management partnership with the Park gives it equal say over design changes and that slavery is central to the site’s story.
- Interior and NPS defended the removals as complying with President Trump’s March 2025 executive order ('Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History') directing removal of 'divisive' or 'improper' race‑centered ideology and saying interpretive materials must align with 'shared national values,' and publicly called Philadelphia’s lawsuit 'frivolous' and an attempt to 'demean our brave Founding Fathers.'
- Local officials, members of Congress (including Rep. Dwight Evans), the National Parks Conservation Association, historians and museum experts condemned the action as 'whitewashing history,' reversing years of collaborative work to acknowledge the enslaved, and critics said it prioritizes nostalgia over evidence‑based interpretation.
- The removals at the President’s House are part of a broader administration push to review and revise federal museum and park content ahead of the U.S. 250th anniversary: actions include a summer/fall 2025 review of eight Smithsonian museums, a Jan. 13, 2026 demand for detailed records, placement of Vice President JD Vance on the Smithsonian Board of Regents to target 'improper ideology,' stripped wall text and portrait label changes at Smithsonian museums, and reported removals of climate‑change signage at sites such as Fort Sumter.
- On‑the‑ground reaction to the panel removals was immediate and emotional: visitors left flowers and handwritten signs (e.g., 'Slavery was real'), at least one visitor was seen in tears, and local media footage documented the empty bolt holes and missing panels, underscoring public outcry and the physical impact of the directive.
- Museum scholars, retired archivists and other experts warned the directive and removals threaten institutional independence and historical integrity, calling the intervention unprecedented and equating it with censorship or whitewashing of difficult aspects of U.S. history.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (2)
A Rare Opportunity for Unity
"A City Journal piece titled "A Rare Opportunity for Unity" comments on the White House’s Jan. 13 demand to the Smithsonian about 250th‑anniversary exhibits, arguing the anniversary should emphasize civic unity and patriotic memory and expressing sympathy for the administration’s effort to steer public commemoration away from partisan grievance while noting the danger of executive overreach."
Can Americans Unify for their 250th?
"An opinion piece arguing that the Trump White House’s effort to dictate Smithsonian 250th‑anniversary narratives (and to tie funding to a mandated positive framing) will not create genuine American unity and instead risks deepening polarization; true cohesion requires independent institutions and honest civic engagement rather than executive‑driven pageantry."
📰 Source Timeline (11)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 24, 2026
1:29 AM
Philadelphia sues over Trump directive to remove slavery displays from historical site
New information:
- CBS video piece shows current visuals of the President’s House site with the slavery interpretive signs removed and only traces (bolt holes, panel shadows) left, underscoring the physical impact of the directive.
- The segment emphasizes that city officials have now formally filed suit in response to the removal, framing it as a direct challenge to the Trump order that labels such content 'divisive'.
- The report amplifies local reaction and makes clear this is not a future threat but an already executed change to how the site presents slavery.
January 23, 2026
11:50 PM
News Wrap: Starmer calls Trump's comments on NATO troops in Afghanistan 'insulting'
New information:
- PBS confirms that the city of Philadelphia is suing the Trump administration over removal of the slavery exhibit at Independence National Historical Park, summarizing it as a current, active legal challenge.
- The wrap reinforces that the removed material is specifically a slavery exhibit at the President’s House site, tying the lawsuit directly to the administration’s broader 'history' directive.
8:00 PM
Philadelphia sues Trump administration over removal of slavery exhibit from public park
New information:
- Interior’s public statement characterizing Philadelphia’s lawsuit as 'frivolous' and accusing the city of trying to 'demean' the Founders.
- On‑the‑ground details that crews left empty bolt holes, panel 'shadows,' flowers and a handwritten 'Slavery was real' sign at the site, with at least one visitor in tears, underscoring public reaction.
- Additional quoted reactions from Rep. Dwight Evans and National Parks Conservation Association official Ed Stierli, explicitly accusing the administration of 'whitewashing history' and 'prioritizing nostalgia over the truth.'
- Clarification that the removed exhibit panels contained biographical details of nine enslaved people held by George and Martha Washington, while their names remain engraved on a cement wall at the entrance.
6:31 PM
Philadelphia sues over removal of slavery exhibit
New information:
- National Park Service crews on Thursday removed interpretive panels about the nine people enslaved by George and Martha Washington at the President’s House Site in Independence National Historical Park.
- The City of Philadelphia has filed suit against Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and acting NPS Director Jessica Bowron, arguing its management partnership gives it equal say over design changes and that slavery is central to the site’s story.
- Interior publicly defended the removals as complying with Trump’s executive order requiring interpretive materials to align with 'shared national values' and called the city’s lawsuit 'frivolous' and aimed at 'demeaning our brave Founding Fathers.'
- Critics, including Rep. Dwight Evans and the National Parks Conservation Association, accuse the administration of 'whitewashing history' and reversing years of collaborative work to acknowledge the enslaved at the site.
11:30 AM
National Park Service removes climate change facts sign from Civil War landmark Fort Sumter: report
New information:
- National Park Service has removed a Fort Sumter sign that warned rising seas from climate change could inundate the fort’s walls and keep the grounds 'constantly submerged' if Charleston Harbor’s sea level rose four feet.
- Three anonymous federal employees told the New York Times the removal was done in line with President Trump’s March executive order targeting 'improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology' at federal sites.
- Interior Department spokesperson Elizabeth Peace confirmed the Park Service is 'taking action to remove or revise interpretive materials' to ensure 'alignment with shared national values,' while an outside parks advocate accused the administration of 'censoring climate science.'
- The administration has also instructed NPS to review and remove diversity‑related or so‑called 'anti‑America' ideology materials from park merchandise and gift shops.
January 13, 2026
10:22 PM
Smithsonian faces a deadline to show Trump its plans for exhibits for America's 250th birthday
New information:
- Confirms a Tuesday (Jan. 13, 2026) deadline for the Smithsonian to turn over detailed lists of all displays, objects and wall text related to the 250th anniversary and other exhibits.
- Quotes directly from the Dec. 18 White House letter by budget director Russell Vought and domestic policy chief Vince Haley insisting museum leaders must not be 'confused' about portraying the U.S. as 'among the greatest forces for good' and warning Americans will have 'no patience' for museums not conveying a positive view.
- Clarifies that the White House initially requested materials in September and deemed the Smithsonian’s earlier production insufficient, escalating to this detailed ultimatum.
- Reiterates that Vice President JD Vance has been placed on the Smithsonian Board of Regents to 'remove improper ideology' from the institution, in the context of this 250th‑anniversary push.
- Adds expert reaction from historians and a retired National Archives archivist warning that the demand amounts to 'whitewashing' history and runs against evidence‑based, nuanced historical work.
6:43 PM
What do Trump demands mean for Smithsonian’s independence?
New information:
- Reveals that the Trump administration imposed a Jan. 13, 2026 deadline for the Smithsonian to turn over records about museum content or risk possible cuts to its federal funding.
- Details a March 2025 executive order titled 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,' in which Trump accused the Smithsonian of fostering 'national shame' and ordered an end to funding for exhibits he says 'divide Americans based on race.'
- Reports that Trump directed Vice President JD Vance, in his role on the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to push for removal of exhibits or programs with 'improper ideology,' specifically citing shows featuring transgender athletes or those presenting race as a social construct.
- Describes an August 2025 administration letter announcing a comprehensive review of content in eight Smithsonian museums ahead of the U.S. 250th anniversary celebrations.
- Provides expert context from museum‑studies scholar Suse Anderson, who says the aggressiveness of this intervention is unprecedented for the Smithsonian and underscores why museums built ethical codes to protect institutional independence.
January 12, 2026
4:17 AM
Smithsonian replaces Trump portrait display, strips Jan. 6 and impeachment references from accompanying text
New information:
- Details that the original label text explicitly said Trump was 'Impeached twice — on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection after supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 — he was acquitted by the Senate in both trials,' and that this entire passage was removed.
- Confirms the new minimal placard lists only Trump’s years in office and that, as of Sunday, Trump is the only president in the exhibit without extended interpretive text, while Clinton and Andrew Johnson’s labels still note their impeachments.
- Reports that the Smithsonian has installed a new black‑and‑white portrait by White House photographer Daniel Torok, showing Trump with fists on the Resolute Desk, replacing the earlier black‑background, folded‑hands image.
- Adds that the portrait and label changes follow a White House order demanding extensive internal Smithsonian records by Jan. 13 under threat of potential funding cuts, after Trump publicly attacked the museums as 'woke' and 'out of control.'
- Includes a new White House quote from spokesman Davis Ingle praising the display and saying Trump's 'unmatched aura will be seen and felt throughout the halls of the National Portrait Gallery,' and notes Trump publicly praised the change on Truth Social.
January 11, 2026
10:33 PM
National Portrait Gallery removes impeachment references next to Trump photo
New information:
- Confirms that the new wall text next to Trump’s portrait in the 'America’s Presidents' gallery no longer mentions his two impeachments or broader details of his presidency.
- Details that the new label is a bare 'tombstone' listing only Trump’s birth year, status as 45th and 47th president, term dates, and photographer information, compared with the prior text that referenced his Supreme Court nominations, COVID-19 vaccine development, and impeachments.
- Reports the Smithsonian’s official explanation that this is part of a planned update experimenting with minimalist labels, and notes that impeachment information remains elsewhere in the institution.
- Reiterates that Trump signed a March executive order to eliminate 'divisive race-centered ideology' from Smithsonian museums and ordered an internal review of eight museums over the summer, including the Portrait Gallery, and that he tried to fire former NPG director Kim Sajet as 'a highly partisan person.'
- Quotes White House spokesperson Davis Ingle calling the new portrait an 'iconic photo' whose 'unmatched aura will be seen and felt' through the gallery, signaling the administration’s satisfaction with the change.
- Adds that in July the National Museum of American History similarly removed Trump impeachment references from its 'American Presidency: A Glorious Burden' exhibit.
10:05 PM
Reference to Trump's impeachments is removed from the display of his Smithsonian photo portrait
New information:
- AP confirms that as of Sunday, Trump is the only president in the National Portrait Gallery’s 'American Presidents' exhibit without any extended wall text beside his display; only the new photo and artist credit remain.
- The article reproduces the prior full Trump label, including the sentences noting he was 'impeached twice' on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection, acquitted both times, and then lost in 2020 before a 2024 comeback.
- The Smithsonian tells AP it is beginning a 'planned update' of the America’s Presidents gallery and experimenting with bare 'tombstone' labels that list only general information like artist’s name, framing the change as part of that process.
- The piece ties the change to Trump’s August order directing Smithsonian officials to review all exhibits before the 250th anniversary to 'remove divisive or partisan narratives,' though the museum and White House both refuse to say if they requested this specific edit.
- White House spokesman Davis Ingle publicly praises the new photograph, saying Trump’s 'unmatched aura' will be felt throughout the gallery, but pointedly dodges questions on whether the White House asked for the label to be pulled.