The Trump administration faces criticism for efforts to rewrite and whitewash history in US national parks by removing and altering numerous signs on public lands. Jerry Bransford, a former US National Park Service (NPS) ranger, has highlighted the deep historical connection his family has with Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, the largest known cave system in the world. His great-great-grandfather, Materson “Mat” Bransford, was among the earliest explorers of Mammoth Cave. However, Mat was never compensated for his work; enslavers rented him out for $100 a year to a man who aimed to develop the site into a tourist attraction, which eventually became Mammoth Cave National Park.

Critics argue that such historical complexities are being erased or sanitized under the current administration's policies, which seek to present a less contentious version of American history in national parks.

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