A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate signage at national parks that was removed under an executive order aimed at purging language perceived to cast the United States in a negative light. The directive mandates the restoration of signs discussing topics including climate change, slavery, and Indigenous and LGBTQ+ history, which had been targeted for removal.
The executive order, signed in March 2025, sought to counteract what the administration termed a "revisionist movement" aiming to undermine American history by replacing objective facts with distorted, ideologically driven narratives. Under this directive, over 430 sites managed by the National Park Service were instructed to review language on monuments, memorials, statues, and markers for potentially disparaging content, with particular attention paid to language added during the previous presidential administration. QR codes were also implemented to allow visitors to report signs that may have violated the order.
The removal impacted various historical sites. At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, mentions of President Washington's enslaved individuals were reportedly removed. Similarly, signs addressing climate threats at Fort Sumter in South Carolina and a pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City were taken down, according to legal challenges. In California, language concerning the internment of Japanese Americans at the Manzanar National Historic Site, along with the history of Indigenous peoples in Death Valley and Muir Woods, also faced scrutiny.
U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley issued a preliminary injunction on Friday, siding with a coalition of conservation and historical groups. She mandated the reinstatement of all removed language before the Fourth of July, stating that national parks are crucial for conveying America's multifaceted history, encompassing its positive, negative, and difficult aspects. Judge Kelley criticized the administration's actions, asserting it sought "to rewrite the Nation’s history with a white-out pen."
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of the Interior dismissed the ruling as the work of a "liberal activist judge" and indicated the department would explore appeal options. This ruling follows an earlier instance where another federal judge ordered the restoration of signage related to Washington's enslaved individuals.
The lawsuit, filed in February by a coalition including the National Parks Conservation Association and the American Association for State and Local History, alleged that the executive order was effectively erasing American history and science. Representatives from these groups have emphasized that national parks should serve as educational spaces that honestly present the nation's triumphs and struggles, asserting that the public "can handle the truth."
