Appeals court clears installation of new Washington panels

A federal appeals court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to install new historical panels at the site of George Washington's Philadelphia residence, a decision issued just ahead of the nation's 250th Independence Day celebrations. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia granted the administration's request on Friday, July 3, 2026, allowing the National Park Service to proceed with replacing an exhibit focused on the people enslaved by Washington.

The legal dispute centers on the Presidents House exhibit at Independence National Historical Park, which opened in 2010 to detail the lives of the nine individuals Washington enslaved there while Philadelphia served as the nation's capital. In January 2026, the federal government removed those panels, citing a 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump directing a review of national park displays to ensure they do not "inappropriately disparage" American history.

The City of Philadelphia filed a lawsuit, and a U.S. District Judge, Cynthia M. Rufe, initially sided with the city, ordering the original exhibit restored. That ruling was reversed last month by a three-judge appellate panel,...