Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign hit a major snag in a federal courtroom, and the judge didn’t just give a light reprimand. She really took the situation to task.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe handed down a lengthy, 40-page criticism after Trump’s Interior Department and his team tried to erase slavery from public history at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park — especially the exhibit about the President’s House, which shows the lives of the enslaved people George Washington owned.
Judge Rufe wasn’t impressed with the “Make America Great Again” story.
She compared Trump’s actions to George Orwell’s “Ministry of Truth,” saying it’s like that dystopian world has come to life — with the motto “Ignorance is Strength.”
She also said the government doesn’t have the power it claims to rewrite or remove historical facts.
That’s exactly what happened.
According to the ruling, on January 22, 2026, the National Park Service removed panels, displays, and video exhibits that mentioned slavery and the people who were enslaved at the site.
In simple terms, Trump’s team tried to turn a public historical site into a clean, propaganda-like display.
So the judge ordered a temporary court order, telling the government to restore the exhibit to its condition on January 21, 2026 — and made it clear this wasn’t optional.
The administration must reinstall all the panels, displays, and video exhibits that were taken down.
And if Trump’s team thought they could just keep changing things, they were mistaken.
Judge Rufe also stopped the government from making any changes to the site without permission from the City of Philadelphia.
It’s really encouraging to see a federal judge tell Trump to leave history alone or face being taken to court again.
This is what happens when judges stand up for the Constitution against authoritarianism.
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