June 13, 2026 / 11:19 AM EDT
/ CBS/AP
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President Trump's effort to rewrite the past at the country's museums, parks and landmarks was struck down on Friday, with a federal judge calling for the administration to restore changes already made at locations nationwide.The preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Massachusetts also orders a pause on any additional changes, writing that the plaintiffs have shown these efforts are meant "to rewrite the Nation's history with a white-out pen.""Under the guise of promoting American dignity, this Administration seeks to share a limited history by ordering the removal of all signs, displays, and interpretive exhibits at National Parks that do not align with its preferred narrative, thereby telling half-truths," Kelley wrote.The Trump administration issued an executive order, entitled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," in March 2025 ordering national parks to not display elements that "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living."However, Kelley countered that Trump's order was just an excuse to erase the true history of the United States."History cannot be faithfully told while excluding the experiences of communities whose contributions, struggles, and achievements form an important part of our Nation's story," Kelley wrote.The Trump administration must also provide a status report every week describing the progress they've made with these changes, the judge wrote. The administration has 21 days to "restore and reinstall all interpretive materials at park sites managed by the NPS that, pursuant to the Secretary's Order, have been altered, removed, or damaged in the process of such removal since May 20, 2025," according to the order.
