The Trump administration's initiative to encourage visitors to report 'negative' content in US national parks has backfired, with a majority of public comments instead criticising the policy itself. An analysis of 35,000 comments, released following a lawsuit by the Sierra Club, revealed that more than half of the submissions opposed the directive.
Many respondents were scathing in their remarks. One visitor to a North Carolina park called the effort 'un-American', while another criticised the idea of 'having Americans call in and snitch on each other'. A comment from Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota directly challenged the president, stating: 'Hey Donald Trump! Trying to erase history doesn’t mean it didn’t still happen!'
The policy, initiated by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, targeted 'inappropriate content' including signs or exhibits deemed 'negative about either past or living Americans'. It followed an executive order by Donald Trump titled 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History', which aimed to highlight America's achievements and natural beauty.
Despite the backlash, the public response was relatively modest given the scale of national park visits—323 million last year. The watchdog group Save Our Signs has documented at least 59 instances of signs being removed or modified, affecting references to slavery, climate change, women's rights, and Native American history. Jenny McBurney, a key member of the group, noted: 'It seems to be anything that is sort of going against the ideology, this idea of America is perfect and can do no wrong.'
Significant changes occurred at Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park, where exhibits detailing the lives of enslaved individuals under George Washington were removed. Some exhibits were temporarily restored by a judge's order, but further work was halted pending an appeal.
Among the comments, some praised the parks and their staff. A visitor to Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis wrote: 'We had a great time learning about the development of this site, including the difficult parts of our American story. We need those reminders to help us become even better in the future.' Others injected humour, such as a visitor to North Cascades National Park who noted: 'Didn’t see any Bigfeets.'
