As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto ‘Ignorance is Strength,’ this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not.
— Judge Cynthia M. Rufe granting the City of Philadelphia a preliminary injunction holding the federal government must restore signage, displays and videos at the President’s House site in Philly that discuss the slaves that George Washington owned at that location. Attorneys for the Trump administration argued, “the government gets to choose the message it wants to convey.” Judge Rufe was not impressed with the efforts to memory-hole slavery, characterizing it as “dangerous” and “horrifying” during oral arguments.