Whelp, he’s at it again. President Donald Trump is once again stirring controversy with a sweeping directive that reshapes how U.S. history is presented at federally run sites. According to The New York Times, the White House has ordered the National Park Service to remove displays and signage that address slavery and the treatment of Native Americans, sparking criticism from historians and activists.
Among the materials targeted is the reproduction of the haunting photograph “The Scourged Back,” also known as “Whipped Peter,” displayed at Fort Pulaski National Monument in Georgia. The 19th century image, showing the scarred back of an enslaved man brutalized by beatings, became one of the most powerful symbols used by abolitionists to expose the realities of slavery. The directive also calls for the removal of a sign at Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia that challenges the “Lost Cause” mythology often used to sanitize Confederate history.
The move comes after Trump’s recent barrage of posts on Truth Social, where he railed against what he called “WOKE museums.” He singled out the Smithsonian, accusing it of focusing too much on slavery, oppression, and injustice rather than celebrating America’s triumphs. “This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE,” Trump wrote, insisting museums and parks should highlight success, brightness, and progress.
Back in March, the White House rolled out an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The policy outlined the administration’s vision for transforming federal sites into “solemn and uplifting monuments” that celebrate U.S. heritage, liberty, and prosperity, while warning against what it called “ideological indoctrination” tied to narratives about race and injustice.
Critics say the order risks erasing essential truths about America’s past in favor of a curated version of history that overlooks the struggles that shaped the nation. For now, though, the Park Service has been instructed to begin compliance with the directive — setting the stage for a heated fight over who gets to define the story of America.