A US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate exhibits and displays at national museums, parks and landmarks that were altered under an executive order.
The ruling mandates the restoration of sites changed under a Trump directive that sought to remove elements deemed to “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”
US District Judge Angel Kelley in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction, also halting any further modifications. The judge blasted the changes at national parks, saying they aimed “to rewrite the Nation’s history with a white-out pen.”
“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,” Judge Kelley wrote.
He also ordered the Trump administration to submit weekly status reports detailing its progress in complying with the order.
Judge Kelley further criticized the administration’s actions, writing: “Under the guise of promoting American dignity, this Administration seeks to share a limited history by ordering the removal of all signs, displays, and interpretive exhibits at National Parks that do not align with its preferred narrative, thereby telling half-truths.”
The injunction follows a February lawsuit brought by conservation and historical organizations. They alleged that National Park Service policies had compelled staff to remove or censor numerous exhibits presenting factually accurate and relevant US history and scientific knowledge, including information on slavery and climate change.
The Trump administration launched an appeal last year to visitors at US national parks, asking them to report any displays or exhibits that presented “negative” perspectives on Americans, whether living or historical.
An extensive analysis of 35,000 public comments, recently disclosed through a lawsuit, reveals that the vast majority of respondents instead used the opportunity to sharply criticize the administration’s own initiative.
The public reaction was swift and often scathing, with many comments directly challenging the policy’s intent. One visitor to a North Carolina park unequivocally labeled the administration’s efforts “un-American,” while another scorned the very concept of “having Americans call in and snitch on each other.”
As a result of Trump’s overhaul, significant changes occurred at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park. The administration removed exhibits detailing the lives of nine enslaved individuals under George Washington, the first US president, in the 1790s. Other alterations included the removal of a sign at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Arizona, which featured an image of a visitor holding a Pride flag, and the deletion of films on labour history from the Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts.
Trump signed the executive order “restoring truth and sanity to American history” last year. Subsequently, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the removal of “improper partisan ideology” from federally controlled museums, monuments, and other public exhibits.
Alan Spears, senior director for cultural resources at the National Parks Conservation Association, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, welcomed the ruling. He stated it would help protect national parks from the administration’s attempts “to erase history and science at these one-of-a-kind places.”
“National parks belong to the American people and censorship of any kind goes against the values these places represent,” Mr Spears added.
Bill Wade, executive director for the Association of National Park Rangers, another plaintiff, highlighted the positive impact for National Parks employees who “have prided themselves for being able to provide truthful, accurate and unbiased information.”
