The Trump administration plans to temporarily display a controversial statue of Delaware’s Caesar Rodney in the nation’s capital, four years after it was removed from Wilmington during nationwide racial justice demonstrations.
The bronze sculpture depicting the Declaration of Independence signer on horseback will be placed in Freedom Plaza, a federal park in downtown Washington DC, for up to six months according to the National Park Service. The installation is part of the current administration’s efforts to mark America’s 250th anniversary celebration.
Rodney, who owned a Delaware plantation, made his historic journey to Philadelphia in 1776 to cast his vote for American independence. However, he also held approximately 200 individuals in bondage throughout his life.
The statue stood in Wilmington for nearly a century before city officials took it down in 2020 following widespread protests after George Floyd’s death. Since its removal, the monument has remained in storage at a warehouse facility.
According to reports from the Washington Post, the decision to display Rodney’s statue aligns with President Trump’s broader initiative to combat what he terms “anti-American” ideology. This campaign has included removing slavery-related exhibits and restoring Confederate monuments, actions that civil rights organizations warn could undo years of social advancement.
The Interior Department’s announcement made no reference to Rodney’s history as a slaveholder or the circumstances surrounding the statue’s removal from Delaware. A department representative stated that showcasing the monument reflects the administration’s dedication to “acknowledging the full breadth of our nation’s history, including the story of Caesar Rodney.”
Rodney battled a severe facial cancer that left him disfigured and ultimately led to his death in 1784. Last year, officials also reinstalled a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike in Washington, which had been toppled during Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020.
