Trump administration appeals judge's ruling over President's House slavery exhibits

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

Updated Feb. 17, 2026, 7:16 p.m. ET | Published Feb. 17, 2026, 4:40 p.m. ET


The Trump administration has appealed a federal judge’s order requiring that the National Park Service restore all the slavery-related exhibits it abruptly removed last month from the President’s House Site in Center City. The U.S. attorneys representing the federal government argued previously that the White House has full discretion over the exhibits in national parks, an argument U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe called “dangerous” and “horrifying” during last month’s hearing.

The notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit at this stage does not require a brief arguing what the government says the judge got wrong when she issued the injunction. But the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service said in a statement Tuesday that the agencies “disagree” with the injunction.

“The National Park Service routinely updates exhibits across the park system to ensure historical accuracy and completeness,” the statement said. “If not for this unnecessary judicial intervention, updated interpretive materials providing a fuller account of the history of slavery at Independence Hall would have been installed in the coming days.”

Neither agency responded to a request for more information on the plan for alternative panels. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/politics/philadelphia/presidents-house-donald-trump-philadelphia-lawsuit-injunction-slavery-20260217.html

---

DOI had this statement (quote from OP article and here - https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/slavery-exhibits-presidents-house-site-philadelphia-orders/)

"The National Park Service routinely updates exhibits across the park system to ensure historical accuracy and completeness. If not for this unnecessary judicial intervention, updated interpretive materials providing a fuller account of the history of slavery at Independence Hall would have been installed in the coming days,"

The radio report I heard this morning had the reporter make a remark about whether the Department of Interior was somehow confusing "Independence Hall" (in general) with "The President's House", which are 2 different sites a block apart.

Regardless, the lie about updating "interpretive materials" was their typical fall back when caught and getting blowback.

[travelingthrulife]

1. Another distraction.

Release the Trump-Epstein Sex Trafficking and Blackmail, Inc. files.

The files remaining in DOJs hands will include active Congress members, judges, media members, etc. It will likely include photos and film implicating these monsters. It MUST come out.

[riversedge]

2. It may be a distraction but the WH is arguing that it has "full discretion over the exhibits in national parks,"

This is a very important case IMHO.

...........The U.S. attorneys representing the federal government argued previously that the White House has full discretion over the exhibits in national parks, an argument U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe called “dangerous” and “horrifying” during last month’s hearing.

[Bayard]

14. Agreed

He's already putting his ugly mug on entry tickets to national parks, and if you wipe it out, your ticket is invalidated. How long before all the park names are changed to include his--trump's Yosemite.

[Phoenix61]

3. If they were going to be installed that means they have them.

Wouldn’t it be fun if the judge ordered them to bring them into court because you know they don’t exist.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. The judge actually visited the exhibit site and the area where the panels were stored

You'll notice that despite their normal practice of snow removal on NPS sites, the NPS here REFUSED to remove the snow and ice from the exhibit structure grounds where the "house" is open-air with no roof except over an archeological dig section, and obviously the judge experienced that complete lack of maintenance and that is why she included an explicit order for the NPS to ensure the site is cleared and accessible (we had just had upwards of 6" - 9" of frozen precipitation in the city, including 3" of sleet on top of snow with a coating of freezing rain on top of that before she visited) -

(snip)

5. Defendants are hereby ORDERED to maintain the President’s House Site in a
clean and accessible manner, cleared of debris, snow, ice and/or any other impediment to public
access.

(snip)

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.paed.648842/gov.uscourts.paed.648842.54.0.pdf

[lastlib]

11. They're coming out along with the GOPee healthcare plan......

Just a guess.....

[JohnnyRingo]

4. Is this really this important to him?

Is it so dire that he meddle with history at a federal tourist trap and dispatch a legal team to appeal?
Let it go grandpa.

[GiqueCee]

5. Trump never...

... lets ANYTHING go. When he encounters any defiance of his will, he doubles, triples, and fourples down on his demands, no matter how insane they may be.
I wish we could let this malignant narcissist go... to the bottom of the hole that awaits him in Hell.

[evolves]

6. Quadruples?

n/t

[GiqueCee]

7. "Fourples" is more fun!

[evolves]

8. LOL

[BumRushDaShow]

12. "fourples"

[AZ8theist]

10. It sure is...

His racist hatred of black and brown people knows no end.

[mpcamb]

13. An example of pissing away public money in order to fight against truth.