PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Trump administration can replace a slavery exhibit at George Washington’s home in Philadelphia, a federal appeals court panel said Thursday, striking down a lower court’s injunction that required the National Park Service to reinstall the interpretive panels.
The unanimous ruling by the three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a lower court judge wrongly interpreted Philadelphia’s contract claims involving Independence National Historical Park, saying the city merely having standing to sue did not mean its arguments had merit. The panel also praised the plans for the replacement installation, writing that they were, “full of historical context,” despite objections from historians and city officials that the content appears whitewashed.
kAm%96 CF=:?8 4@>6D 2 H66< 27E6C 2 |2DD249FD6EED 7656C2= ;F586 @C56C65 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? E@ C6DE@C6 D:E6D 492?865 F?56C 2? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>A\?2E:@?2=\A2C<\D6CG:46\5:DA2C28:?8\5ge`3b4h_a67eg3_`gc4a35ffe7f_f6cQm6I64FE:G6 @C56Ck^2m 42==:?8 7@C E96 ?2E:@?’D >FD6F>D[ A2C2C6?ED E92E “:?2AAC@AC:2E6=J 5:DA2C286 p>6C:42?D A2DE @C =:G:?8]” %96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 92D 2D<65 7@C 2 DE2J @? E92E CF=:?8 H9:=6 :E 2AA62=D]k^Am
kAmxE H2D F?4=62C 9@H E96 |2DD249FD6EED CF=:?8 H@F=5 27764E E96 C6DE@C2E:@? @C C6A=246>6?E @7 E96 A2?6=D 2E E96 !C6D:56?EVD w@FD6 $:E6] p3@FE 92=7 E96 =2C86 A2?6=D 2E E96 @FE5@@C 6I9:3:E 925 366? C6DE@C65 367@C6 2 u63CF2CJ A2FD6 😕 E96 H@C<]k^Am
kAm!9@?6 2?5 6>2:= >6DD286D =67E 7@C 2EE@C?6JD C6AC6D6?E:?8 E96 4:EJ H6C6 ?@E C6EFC?65 62C=J %9FCD52J] |6DD286D E@ DA@<6DA6@A=6 7@C E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 x?E6C:@C 2?5 E96 }2E:@?2= !2C< $6CG:46 2=D@ H6C6 ?@E C6EFC?65]k^Am
kAms2H? r92G@FD[ 2 G@=F?E66C 7@C pG6?8:?8 E96 p?46DE@CD r@2=:E:@?[ @?6 @7 E96 25G@424J 8C@FAD E92E 96=A65 56G6=@A E96 D:E6 😕 E96 a___D[ D2:5 E96J 2C6 5:D2AA@:?E65 H:E9 E96 564:D:@? 3FE 2C6 DA62<:?8 E@ E96:C 2EE@C?6JD 2?5 4@?D:56C:?8 @AE:@?D]k^Am
kAm“u@C 564256D[ p%pr 92D H@C<65 E@ 6?DFC6 E92E E96 DE@C:6D @7 E96 6?D=2G65 p7C:42? 56D46?52?ED H9@ =:G65 2?5 =23@C65 2E E96 !C6D:56?E’D w@FD6 2C6 ?@E 6C2D65[ @G6C=@@<65[ @C >:DC6AC6D6?E65[” E96 8C@FA D2:5 😕 2? 6>2:=65 DE2E6>6?E] “%92E 4@>>:E>6?E C6>2:?D F?H2G6C:?8] (6 36=:6G6 E92E 9:DE@C:42= ECFE9 >2EE6CD[ 2?5 H6 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 25G@42E6 7@C E96 AC@E64E:@?[ AC6D6CG2E:@?[ 2?5 244FC2E6 :?E6CAC6E2E:@? @7 E9:D :>A@CE2?E 492AE6C @7 p>6C:42? 9:DE@CJ]”k^Am
kAm%96 4:EJ @7 !9:=256=A9:2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^D=2G6CJ\6I9:3:E\C6>@G65\A9:=256=A9:2\ECF>A\6I64FE:G6\@C56C\55fecaff`bb7cf64“fb6g54`ef_bhdgQmDF65 😕 y2?F2CJk^2m 27E6C E96 }2E:@?2= !2C< $6CG:46[ 😕 C6DA@?D6 E@ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD 6I64FE:G6 @C56C[ C6>@G65 E96 6IA=2?2E@CJ A2?6=D 7C@> E96 !C6D:56?E’D w@FD6 $:E6[ H96C6 v6@C86 2?5 |2CE92 (2D9:?8E@? =:G65 H:E9 ?:?6 @7 E96:C D=2G6D 😕 E96 `fh_D[ H96? !9:=256=A9:2 H2D 3C:67=J E96 ?2E:@?’D 42A:E2=]k^Am
kAm%96 4:EJ 925 H@C<65 😕 E2?56> H:E9 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E[ 9:DE@C:2?D 2?5 AC:G2E6 A2CE?6CD E@ 4C62E6 E96 6I9:3:E 😕 E96 62C=J a___D — 2D A2CE @7 2 =@?8DE2?5:?8 4@@A6C2E:@? 28C66>6?E @G6C E96 5@H?E@H? 9:DE@C:42= A2C< — 2?5 4@?EC:3FE65 S`]d >:==:@? E@H2C5 :ED 4C62E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 4:EJ 2C8F65 E92E 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E >FDE 4@?DF=E H:E9 E96 4:EJ 367@C6 >2<:?8 492?86D E@ E96 !C6D:56?EVD w@FD6 $:E6] yFDE:46 s6A2CE>6?E =2HJ6CD 2C8F65 E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 2=@?6 42? 564:56 H92E DE@C:6D 2C6 E@=5 2E }2E:@?2= !2C< $6CG:46 AC@A6CE:6D]k^Am
kAmx? :ED CF=:?8 %9FCD52J[ E96 2AA62=D A2?6= D2:5 E96 >2:?E6?2?46 A@CE:@? @7 E96 4@?EC24E 36EH66? E96 4:EJ 2?5 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 4@F=5 ?@E 36 :?E6CAC6E65 E@ >62? E96 D:E6 H@F=5 C6>2:? 2D :E H2D H96? :E H2D 4@>A=6E65]k^Am
kAm“%96 5FEJ E@ ‘>2:?E2:?’ 😀 36EE6C F?56CDE@@5 2D 2 86?6C2= >2?286>6?E @3=:82E:@? E92E 244@>A2?:6D @H?6CD9:A[ ?@E 2 AC@>:D6 E92E E96 6I9:3:ED H:== 7@C6G6C C6>2:? 😕 A=246 C682C5=6DD @7 E96 @H?6C’D H:D96D[” E96 @A:?:@? D2:5]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmr2D6J 4@?EC:3FE65 7C@> q@DE@?]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.