The Trump administration has officially replaced the slavery exhibit at the President’s House in Philadelphia with a new version. This action has been the subject of intense debate over the historical narrative being presented at this landmark site. The change occurred following a long legal battle, and the new panels were installed on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Per the Associated Press, the federal government swapped out the original panels, which had been in place since 2010. Those original displays provided a detailed history of the nine enslaved people who lived at the home with George and Martha Washington during the 1790s. In those years, Philadelphia served as the nation’s capital. This area is also where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. NBC10 confirmed the installation of the new panels after visiting the historical site on Wednesday, July 15. The new displays still reference the enslaved people who lived in the home. However, they omit specific details featured in the previous version, such as a map of slave trade routes and a timeline of slavery. Furthermore, the new panels avoid certain critical headlines, including the phrase, “The Dirty Business of Slavery.” The installation has been locked in a months-long legal battle The shift in the exhibition is part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump. To reshape how American history is presented at national landmarks. Per NBC10, in March 2025, the president signed an executive order to restore “truth and sanity to American history” at the nation’s museums, parks, and landmarks. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum subsequently directed the removal of “improper partisan ideology” from federal exhibits. This directive has led to significant concern among historians and local officials who fear the sanitization of the nation’s past. Recently, a Massachusetts judge barred the order, stating it was a dangerous precedent of censorship.’ The President’s House now features panels proposed by the Trump administration. The change happened overnight, allowing the government to switch out the displays and shut down the television screens while avoiding public scrutiny during the takedown. https://t.co/eknNUVbVsM pic.twitter.com/q3Jdovho9U— The Philadelphia Inquirer (@PhillyInquirer) July 15, 2026 AP News reported that Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker expressed her strong disapproval of the process on X. “Overnight, under the cover of darkness, the federal government removed panels at the President’s House that told a thorough history of Philadelphia,” Parker noted. “It was allowed to do this by the decision of the federal court, but that it did so at night shows it understands this action is shameful, that it violates community trust.” The city has indicated it intends to seek a rehearing regarding the legal issues surrounding the appeals court decision. In doing so, it will simply add to the installation’s complex legal history. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 3rd Circuit of Appeals ruled on July 3, 2026, that the work could proceed. They reversed an earlier lower court order that forced the government to stop the removal process and restore the exhibit. In its ruling, the three-judge panel praised the replacement plans. They called the changes “full of historical context,” while the previous order questioned the administration for erasing ‘historical truths.’ The City remains committed to the honest and accurate portrayal of history at the President’s House. A portrayal that was the hard-fought and hard-won result of the effort of countless federal, state, and local officials as well as advocates, including Avenging the Ancestors… pic.twitter.com/jqj6SO4Mc4— Mayor Cherelle L. Parker (@PhillyMayor) July 15, 2026 The Department of the Interior defended the changes. “The Department is pleased the Courts have sided with the Trump administration on restoring truth and sanity to our country in our nation’s 250th. These new panels are full of historical context and highlight the momentous events that took place in the President’s House and the other sites at Independence National Historical Park,” a spokesperson told AP News in a statement. The statement further noted, “They acknowledge the evils of slavery, including its injustices and hypocrisies, and, by telling the stories of the nine slaves that Washington kept in the President’s House, remind us of their essential humanity. The panels also recall the price our nation paid to finish the work that the Founders had begun and end slavery in the United States once and for all.” Despite these assurances, AP noted that critics remain vocal. Michael Coard, an attorney and founder of the Avenging The Ancestors Coalition, which joined the city in its lawsuit, characterized the new exhibit as a “whitewashing” of history. “The best lie is one that has a little bit of truth in it. That’s the best lie,” Coard told reporters. “It was a panel here called, ‘The Dirty Business of Slavery.’ That’s gone. Why is that gone?” 'I want to affirm for the record that we as a city and I as mayor, remain committed to ensuring that there is an honest and an accurate portrayal of history at the President's House… you cannot erase American history.' Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker talks with @jaketapper… pic.twitter.com/1S6g6FEaDZ— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) July 15, 2026 NBC10 noted that some visitors, like Ann Grosso and Ken Murray, were surprised and confused by the changes. “We’re very upset to hear that because this is part of our history and it should be in place the way it was,” Grosso said. Murray added his own concern, stating, “This is becoming an authoritarian government, which is horrible.” Mayor Parker has made it clear that the fight is not over. For now, the administration’s focus on retooling cultural and educational institutions remains a central point of contention.