Internet slams Biden admin as they retract plan to remove William Penn's statue after huge backlash

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: In a surprising turn of events, the National Park Service (NPS) has withdrawn plans to remove the statue of William Penn from Welcome Park, a historic site in Philadelphia dedicated to the founder of Pennsylvania.

Last Friday, the NPS sparked controversy by announcing a proposal to change Welcome Park, which sits on the grounds of William Penn's former home. The proposed 'rehabilitation' included an 'expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia' and the removal of both the statue of William Penn and a model of his original house, CNN reported.

Public Outcry and Political Backlash

The announcement triggered a swift and strong response, particularly from conservative voices.

Pennsylvania Republican State House Leader Bryan Cutler criticized the move, stating, "The decision by President Biden and his administration to try and cancel William Penn out of whole cloth is another sad example of the left in this country scraping the bottom of the barrel of wokeism to advance an extreme ideology and a nonsensical view of history."

The public outcry extended to social media, prompting Governor Josh Shapiro to intervene.

"My team has been in contact with the Biden Administration throughout the day to correct this decision," Governor Shapiro announced on Monday evening. "I'm pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn Statue—right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded."

Despite the controversy, Governor Shapiro's intervention brought about a swift change in the NPS's decision.

The agency released a new statement, saying, "Independence National Historical Park has withdrawn the review of a draft proposal to rehabilitate Welcome Park and closed the public comment period." The agency clarified that the preliminary draft proposal had been released prematurely and had not undergone a complete internal review. 

Consequently, the William Penn statue will remain a fixture of Welcome Park. The decision brought relief to both Republicans and Democrats. Democratic Sen. Bob Casey confirmed, "After checking in with the Department of the Interior, I'm pleased to report that there are no plans to remove William Penn at this time."

Social Media Reactions

While the NPS maintains its commitment to rehabilitating Welcome Park for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence signing in 2026, the Biden administration faced backlash on social media for the attempted removal of Penn's historical statue. Conservatives celebrated the decision reversal.

"Fantastic! Don’t let them rewrite history. It’s there for all to learn from it," one posted on X.

"More evidence just how powerful our voices are becoming. This is why they are so desperate to censor us. We are destroying their narratives and blocking their agenda at every turn! Keep it up patriots!" another wrote.

"William Penn was a big advocate of peace and reconciliation with the natives. They could leave the statue and also make it about the natives and working together for peace. But of course, the Marxists can't do that because it doesn't fit their narrative," a comment read.

"If more people would rise up like this, then this s--- wouldn’t happen in the first place," someone else offered.

"Don't keep eyes off this. They'll try again," another insisted.