President Trump wants to reshape key cultural institutions, and he’s calling out Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park as a site where his administration needs to fight what he deems as “corrosive ideology.”
The big picture: In a big executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution on Thursday, Trump also directed the Secretary of the Interior to restore federal parks, public monuments, statues and the like that have been changed or removed since 2020 “to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history.”
- The Department of the Interior oversees the National Park Service, which operates Philly’s Independence Park.
- The same order also calls for Independence Hall to be restored and its infrastructure improved ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year.
Between the lines: It’s the administration’s latest effort to gut diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Catch up quick: Trump says in the order that there’s been a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” over the last decade.
- He’s calling on the Secretary of the Interior to make sure federal monuments, markers and sites don’t “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living,” but instead focus on the greatness of the achievements of the American people or grandeur of the landscape.
Zoom in: Regarding Philly’s Independence Park, Trump criticized the Biden administration for sponsoring training there with an organization he says “advocates for dismantling ‘Western foundations’ and that taught Park Rangers that their racial identity should dictate how they present history to visitors.”
Independence Park leadership declined to comment on Trump’s executive order, spokesperson Paul Campbell tells Axios.
- A spokesperson for NPS and Independence Historical Trust, the philanthropic arm for Independence Park, did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.
William Penn looking toward Welcome Park in Old City. Photo: Courtesy of Independence National Historical Park
Flashback: NPS officials were embroiled in a controversy in Philly last year over their attempt to remove a William Penn statue from Welcome Park in Old City, which is part of Independence Park.
- The Park Service planned to remove the statue of Pennsylvania’s founder — whose legacy has come under scrutiny for his ownership of enslaved people — and a monument to Penn’s Slate Roof House as part of a redesign of the park to incorporate Native American history.
- But the Park Service abandoned those plans after public outcry, including from Gov. Josh Shapiro.
What’s inside: Independence Park spans roughly 51 acres and includes some of the nation’s most significant buildings and relics — think Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were signed), Liberty Bell and Carpenters’ Hall, along with the visitor center.
What we’re watching: How the new oversight and funding will affect Philly’s planning for the 250th celebration. Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration has committed nearly $60 million to the event.
- A Parker spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Trump’s order threatens funding for the Smithsonian Institution, prohibiting spending on exhibits or programs that “degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”
