Author: The Inquirer Editorial Board

Despite widespread pushback, the Trump administration and the National Park Service removed exhibits on slavery from the President’s House, a recreation of the executive residence that once housed George Washington and John Adams.

The exhibits detailed facts about slavery in early America, including how Washington engaged in a human shell game with enslaved members of his own household. After the passage of Pennsylvania’s Gradual Emancipation Act in 1780, enslaved people were shuttled between Philadelphia and Mount Vernon every six months to obey the letter, if not the spirit, of the law.

The exhibits, part of Independence National Historical Park, also memorialized the nine people first brought into bondage to the city with our nation’s first president. It is important to note their names and their stories.

Austin was a waiter who died while traveling on one of those trips back to Virginia. Paris was a young stable hand whose tenure in the city was short. Hercules was a celebrated chef who eventually escaped from Mount Vernon. Christopher Sheels served as Washington’s valet. Richmond was the son of Hercules and worked various roles despite being just 11 years old. Giles drove Washington’s carriage. Oney Judge, a maid, famously fled bondage in Philadelphia, attracting the president’s ire. There was also Moll, a nanny, and Joe, a footman. Joe had to leave his wife and children behind in Virginia during his time working at the President’s House.

Evidence shows that the people whom Washington enslaved were well aware of the hypocrisy surrounding their situation. In a nation formed on the premise that “all men are created equal,” they found themselves bound by birth to a life of servitude, working in the household of the new republic’s first leader. Their stories once adorned the President’s House. Now, blank spaces stand in their place.

The Trump administration has cited a desire to avoid any historical marker that “inappropriately disparages Americans past or living.” Washington is one of the most admired men in U.S. history. His military leadership and willingness to cede executive power are worthy of our esteem. But Washington, like Thomas Jefferson and many other founders, fell short when it came to slavery. Removing panels cannot change that fact.

What the desecration of the President’s House does is disparage not just the enslaved members of Washington’s household, but the millions of Americans who, in the words of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, “endured a great deal of pain so that America could realize its promise.” It also insults the efforts of the Philadelphians who fought to build the exhibit and have a vital part of America’s history recognized.

Thankfully, there is a strong local effort to fight the removal.

Parker cited a 2006 agreement between the city and the National Park Service, which her administration says requires consultation before any alterations are made. The city has filed a lawsuit to restore the panels and is hosting a public hearing on Friday. Perhaps while the court fight plays out, a temporary alternative can be installed at City Hall, by the Constitution Center, or in Fairmount Park.

Parker’s outrage is also a welcome change. While the mayor has mostly refrained from picking fights with the White House, she chastised President Donald Trump and park service officials, saying: “You cannot erase our history. You will not erase our history!”

Gov. Josh Shapiro has joined the city’s lawsuit. An amicus brief filed by his administration said: “There is no virtue in refusing to acknowledge certain aspects of our history because it is painful to do so. The removal of the slavery exhibit from the President’s House undermines this commitment and denies Pennsylvanians and others the opportunity to learn more about a part of our history that cannot be ignored.”

This sentiment is the right way forward.

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, Americans will undoubtedly hear much about this country’s triumphs. That includes those who fought and died — including many who had been enslaved themselves — to keep our country united and begin to address our nation’s greatest mistake.

Generations after the Civil War, Americans were a pivotal part of the coalition that defeated the forces of fascism in Europe. The United States has put people on the moon, helped vanquish diseases like polio, exported its diverse and vibrant culture, and inspired democratic reformers across the world.

Failing to acknowledge our failures can only undermine that legacy.

For generations, wealth has been regionally segregated in Southeastern Pennsylvania, with Philadelphia considered until recently the poorest big city in America, while three of its four collar counties had the lowest poverty rates in the state.

But having fewer people in poverty doesn’t mean there are none who are struggling in the suburbs. More than 180,000 people across Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties live below the poverty line, yet for too long, experts say, those communities have underserved those in need.

Recently, however, suburban leaders have been stepping up their efforts to help those with low incomes. It’s a heartening and welcome shift in attitude.

Poverty is not solely a big-city ailment. With median incomes in Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties nearly twice what they are within Philadelphia, it’s very difficult for poor and working-class people to maintain a suburban lifestyle.

That is especially true when it comes to issues of land use and transportation policy, which experts often treat as intertwined.

In the suburbs, the vast majority of developable land is zoned for detached, single-family homes on large lots, and nearby transit options are often both slow and infrequent. The result is that median housing values in Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester Counties range between $432,000 and $476,000, compared with roughly $250,000 in Philadelphia. Delaware County, which is home to both more suburban areas like Swarthmore and urbanized municipalities like Chester and Upper Darby, splits the difference at $331,000.

This so-called snob zoning doesn’t just prevent poor, working-class, and sometimes even middle-class people from moving into or remaining in many suburban areas; it also makes it harder to get around without a car, which raises the cost of living. While a monthly transit fare card costs between $1,400 and $3,000 per year, AAA estimates the average cost of car ownership is about $12,000. While roughly three-quarters of households in Philadelphia typically don’t have more than one vehicle, most suburban households have two or more. Between the cost of housing and the cost of transportation, that’s an average of more than $60,000 per year just to get by and around.

The de facto suburban gatekeeping essentially compels low-income people to choose to live in the city — a reality that has allowed past suburban leaders to lean into the widely held perception that poverty is a Philadelphia problem. In effect, economic researchers say, that’s meant the suburban poor have basically been left to fend for themselves.

Thankfully, there are signs that things are beginning to change.

In Montgomery County, Commissioners Jamila Winder, Tom DiBello, and Neil Makhija have demonstrated a strong bipartisan commitment to address housing needs.

While the county had zero full-time homeless shelters by the end of 2024 — even as the number of unhoused people grew — the commissioners have invested in an additional 190 short-term shelter beds, split between Pottstown, Norristown, and Lansdale. The commissioners should be commended for doing right by the wider community, even as they faced opposition from some constituents who did not want shelter space available.

The commissioners have also attended community meetings to lobby in favor of housing plans. Makhija has also proposed creating a new grant system that would reward municipalities that opt to allow for more construction. This would help address reasonable concerns about the infrastructure needs of new residents.

There is evidence that efforts to build more inclusive and sustainable suburbs have broadened support. Three of the five new Lower Merion Township commissioners mentioned walkability or pedestrian safety as priorities; Joi Washington — the new mayor of Media — wants to take advantage of her borough’s exceptionally strong transit connections; and Delaware County opened its first-ever health department four years ago.

Leaders from all four suburban counties have also pledged support for new sources of revenue to support public transportation in the region, and Chester County has become a leader in housing development.

If these efforts succeed, a future where poverty is no longer concentrated within Philadelphia — and the poorest can access the support they need, no matter where they live — may be within our grasp.

As many as 85 million deaths were caused by World War II, including more than 400,000 U.S. service members. It was the largest and deadliest conflict in history, involving more than 70 countries.

Out of that horrific six-year battle, the United States, Canada, and 10 Western European nations forged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to deter Soviet aggression, prevent renewed German militarism, stop the spread of communism, and ensure European security.

For more than 75 years, NATO — backed by U.S. presidents from both parties — has maintained peace and prosperity throughout the Western world.

But in a matter of months, Donald Trump has upended that order — bombing and threatening countries while using tariffs as an economic weapon. His latest effort to take over Greenland could shatter the NATO alliance altogether.

Trump’s idea defies reason, especially since Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark — a founding member of NATO and a loyal ally of the U.S.

Seizing Greenland without congressional approval is also unconstitutional, violates international law, flouts United Nations Charter principles, and would breach NATO’s mutual defense clause.

Beyond that, it is reckless and could set off a perilous chain of events leading to more wars or economic disruptions. Some have urged Europe to fight back with a so-called trade bazooka that would essentially cut off economic ties with the U.S.

Trump dialed down the rhetoric on Wednesday, claiming the U.S. “won’t use force” to take Greenland, but insisted the territory was needed for national and international security. He also backed off his tariff threat against NATO allies, claiming a framework of a deal regarding Greenland.

But even if the latest made-up crisis is averted, Trump has already burned bridges with some of America’s closest collaborators.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said there was a “rupture” in the world order. “The rules-based order is fading,” he told leaders at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday.

Ed Davey, a member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, called Trump “an international gangster” who was threatening to “trample over the sovereignty of an ally.”

After Trump initially threatened to impose more tariffs over opposition to American control of Greenland, financial markets tumbled, and eight European countries issued a joint statement warning that transatlantic relations face a “dangerous downward spiral.”

Trump’s threats to invade or buy Greenland add to his lawless, wrecking ball approach to both foreign and domestic affairs since his tumultuous return to the White House last year.

Trump continues to enable Russia’s unfathomable atrocities in Ukraine, while abandoning another ally. He has strongly supported Israel’s ghastly assault on Gaza, and is now corruptly selling “peace seats” for $1 billion to pay for the rebuild. Both Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu are wanted on war crimes charges, but Trump stands by their side.

Trump ordered the bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran as well as military strikes in Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

He approved illegal attacks on at least 35 alleged drug boats and the invasion of a sovereign country to arrest Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.

Trump made clear the military action was not about stopping the flow of drugs or spreading democracy, but rather all about gaining control of Venezuela’s oil.

For added bluster, Trump also threatened attacks on Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, and Canada.

At home, Trump continues to wage war in the streets, as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents kill and harass — including U.S. citizens and off-duty police officers — while deporting more than 230,000 people.

He has also abused his power, upended the federal government, investigated political enemies, weakened higher education, slashed medical research, undermined the free press, and attacked law firms, all while making America less affordable.

Any efforts to combat climate change, famine, healthcare costs, human rights violations, civil rights, voting rights, worker safety, public corruption, or white-collar crime, and many other protections have essentially evaporated under Trump.

The daily chaos has served as a distraction from the unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files and Trump’s profiteering of at least $1.4 billion last year.

Through it all, Trump has acted like a petulant child, debasing the office of the president and tarnishing the global reputation of the United States.

On social media, Trump posted a manipulated photo of himself meeting with European leaders in the Oval Office with a map showing Greenland and Canada covered with a U.S. flag.

He also posted a fake photo of himself and two lackeys, JD Vance and Marco Rubio, planting a U.S. flag next to a sign that read: “Greenland — US Territory est. 2026.”

Trump shared a text exchange with Norway’s prime minister, saying he no longer felt an obligation to think about peace since he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize.

As always, everything is about Trump. The Republicans in Congress — the only ones with the power to stop him at this point — remain mostly silent as the convict in the White House mocks allies and turns the U.S. into a pariah state.

Destroying NATO has long been Putin’s goal. Trump is doing the former KGB agent’s dirty work.

Meanwhile, as the GOP sleeps, everything the Greatest Generation fought and died for is being casually discarded.

Jan. 6, 2021, should be a date that lives in infamy, like Dec. 7, 1941, and Sept. 11, 2001.

But five years after an angry mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, Donald Trump’s insurrection marches on.

Instead of accountability, Trump parlayed the grotesque events that unfolded on Jan. 6 into an incomprehensible return to power and profiteering.

And ever since, Americans have been forced to endure one battle after another.

It began with Trump rewarding the Jan. 6 insurrectionists by pardoning more than 1,500 attackers who were convicted or charged with crimes, including many who beat police officers and some who have since been charged with new crimes.

The blitzkrieg continued from there.

National Guard troops stormed into cities, creating virtual police states and accomplishing little else. Masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested tens of thousands of immigrants — many with no criminal records — while detaining and beating some legal residents.

Trump has continued to attack the government he swore an oath to protect, causing grave and lasting damage.

Elon Musk’s chain saw-wielding assault on federal agencies failed to root out much fraud or waste, but it did cause massive disruptions to many departments while upending the lives of more than 300,000 workers who lost their jobs.

Trump sicced the U.S. Department of Justice on political enemies, marshaling flimsy criminal cases against them while pardoning cronies. The rule of law — a cornerstone of American democracy — remains under assault.

Meanwhile, the FBI shifted away from investigating terrorist groups and is now said to jokingly stand for Foolish, Belligerent, and Incompetent.

Trump unleashed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to “go wild” on health, medicine, and food. Since taking over the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Kennedy, who has no medical training, has canceled billions of dollars in contracts for medical research, fired thousands of workers, upended vaccine policies that saved millions of lives, and embraced discredited and fringe theories.

Trump has also launched unprovoked attacks overseas, increasing tensions with allies and adversaries while likely inspiring future terrorists.

He ambushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, an ally, in the Oval Office, while rolling out the red carpet for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, a wanted war criminal. Instead of aiding Ukraine, Trump is abetting Russia — an epic blunder that risks the peace in Europe that American soldiers helped to secure in World War II.

Trump endorsed Israel’s demolition of Gaza and bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, a move U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge — and a direct threat to international peace and security.”

Trump has illegally bombed small boats in Central and South America, summarily killing more than 100 alleged drug smugglers without presenting any evidence or trials.

Over the weekend, Trump approved a plan to snatch Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and bring them to the U.S. to face criminal charges.

While no one is shedding tears for Maduro, Trump has no clear plan — or total control — for what comes next. Trump claims the U.S. is going to run Venezuela and take charge of its oil, while spouting loose talk about invading Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, and Greenland.

That sounds like imperialism run amok.

The U.S. is headed into dangerous and uncharted territory because of the failure of Congress, the courts, and voters to hold Trump accountable. The upshot has been to breed further lawlessness.

Trump was impeached for inciting the Jan. 6 riot. But then-Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and most other Republicans in Congress — in a gross dereliction of their sworn duty — voted against convicting him even though many said he was liable.

Trump was also criminally indicted for his role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election, which led to the Jan. 6 insurrection. The case was dropped after he was reelected, but special prosecutor Jack Smith recently told the House Judiciary Committee that a conviction was likely since there was “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Trump brought out the worst in America on Jan. 6. Five years later, the damage continues to grow.