Appeals court lets Trump replace Philadelphia slavery exhibit
A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration may remove and replace the slavery exhibit at Philadelphia's President's House Site, overturning a lower-court injunction that had ordered the panels restored.
A three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the unanimous decision, striking down a February order from a federal district judge that had required the National Park Service to reinstall the interpretive panels at the Independence National Historical Park site, where George Washington enslaved nine people in the 1790s while serving as president.
The ruling, reported by NBC10 Philadelphia and ABC News, comes as Philadelphia fights to preserve the memorial ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary. Judge Thomas Hardiman, a George W. Bush appointee, authored the panel's opinion.
What the court decided
The panel found that the city of Philadelphia had standing to sue but that its underlying claims lacked merit. The court determined a lower-court judge had wrongly interpreted Philadelphia's contract claims involving the federal park.
"In sum, the City has standing to sue because it alleges that its contractual rights were violated, but we should not, as the District Court did, mistake that jurisdictional determination for a conclusion that the City's underlying statutory and contract claims have merit. They do not," the ruling said.
The judges also concluded that the Trump administration's replacement panels, which the Park Service posted online in April, were "full of historical context." Hardiman wrote that they "acknowledge the evil of slavery, including its injustices and hypocrisies," and remind visitors of the enslaved people's "essential humanity."
How the legal fight began
The dispute traces to a March 27, 2025, executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," in which President Donald Trump directed the Interior Department to remove content casting the nation's founding in a negative light. The order applied to the President's House and other federal sites.
In January 2026, the Park Service removed the outdoor memorial, prompting Philadelphia to file a federal lawsuit. The city argued the government violated congressional laws and a 2006 agreement that set the terms for building the exhibit, which opened to the public in 2010. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined the suit, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. The city contributed $1.5 million toward the memorial's creation.
In February, a district judge ordered the removal undone and the site restored to its condition as of Jan. 21, 2026. The administration appealed, which paused the restoration, leaving roughly half the panels missing. The 3rd Circuit's June 18 ruling overturns that February order.
On June 13, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Massachusetts ordered the administration to restore federal sites altered under the executive order and paused further changes. Reports differ on how that ruling interacts with the Philadelphia case, and it remains unclear which order takes precedence. As of Thursday, WHYY reported the Massachusetts ruling appears to bind the Park Service for now.
Reaction from city leaders and advocates
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker vowed to keep fighting in a video message posted Thursday. "I will pursue every legal action possible in efforts to reverse this decision," she said, adding that she would not rest "until the full story of American history" including slavery at the site "is told."
Shapiro responded on social media. "No matter how hard Donald Trump fights in a court of law to whitewash our history, he will never change our values in Pennsylvania," he posted.
Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Philadelphia Democrat, said the ruling "underscores the need for Congress to pass my Protecting American History Act to permanently block Trump from removing these exhibits." The Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, which led the push to build the original memorial, said it was "disappointed by the Third Circuit's decision" and would "consider all available options moving forward."
Asked about a timeline for replacing the exhibit, an Interior Department spokesperson gave a three-word statement: "Trust in Trump." The decision is among several recent court fights over the administration's reshaping of federal institutions, including disputes over the Kennedy Center and a transgender military service ruling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which court issued the ruling?
A three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the unanimous decision on June 18, 2026. Judge Thomas Hardiman authored the opinion.
What did the court actually decide?
The panel struck down a February district-court injunction that had ordered the National Park Service to reinstall the slavery exhibit's panels. It found that while Philadelphia had standing to sue, its statutory and contract claims lacked merit.
Who brought the lawsuit?
The city of Philadelphia filed suit in January 2026 against the National Park Service and the Interior Department. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also joined the litigation.
Does the ruling take immediate effect?
It is unclear. A separate June 13 order from a Massachusetts federal judge directed restoration of altered federal sites nationwide, and reports differ on how the two rulings interact. As of Thursday, the Massachusetts order appeared to bind the Park Service.
Sources
Reporting compiled from court records and the cited source outlets.