Federal Judge Orders Slavery Exhibit Restored, Compares Trump Administration to Orwell's '1984'

A federal judge on Presidents' Day ordered the National Park Service to restore an exhibit about nine people enslaved by George Washington at his former Philadelphia residence, which the Trump administration had removed last month. U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe invoked George Orwell's '1984,' saying the administration had slipped into 'Big Brother's domain' by attempting to erase historical displays. The ruling highlights the tension between the administration's efforts to combat what it calls 'anti-American ideology' at cultural institutions and critics who say removing slavery references amounts to whitewashing history.