Trump Administration Orders Removal of National Park History Signs

The administration of Donald Trump is implementing an executive order titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, directing the National Park Service to remove or revise interpretive materials deemed disparaging to the United States or its Founding Fathers. The directive targets what the administration calls partisan ideology, including references to racism, sexism, LGBTQ topics, and climate change.

These actions have affected at least 18 parks across states including Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. Specific removals include exhibits on George Washington's ownership of enslaved people in Philadelphia, signs detailing glacial loss and air pollution at Glacier National Park, and displays regarding tribal displacement at Grand Canyon National Park. At Little Bighorn Battlefield, the government targeted materials describing broken promises to Native American tribes and the impact of boarding schools. Additionally, over a dozen displays on prehistoric history and geology at Big Bend National Park are slated for elimination.

Parallel to these changes, the administration executed mass layoffs and forced retirements, reducing permanent staff by 16% to 24%. Other measures include increasing admission fees for non-U.S. residents by $100 at 11 popular parks and replacing free admission for Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with free access on Donald Trump’s birthday.

The Department of the Interior defended the moves as routine maintenance to ensure history is not viewed through a narrow ideological lens. However, critics such as the National Parks Conservation Association and former officials warn that these efforts suppress science and erase the cultural integrity of the park system.