Confederate statue, torn down in 2020, to be reinstalled in DC

Aug 05, 2025 at 09:25 AM CDT

Updated Aug 05, 2025 at 10:43 AM CDT

A statue of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike will return to Washington, after it was removed during the unrest after the killing of George Floyd. — Image credit: ERIC BARADAT/Contributor via Getty Images

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Summary

Statue erected

A bronze statue of a Confederate general, ripped down during protests in 2020, will be put back up.

Officially confirmed

The National Park Service confirms the statue of Albert Pike will be reinstalled in Washington’s Judiciary Square.

Presidential order

The statue will be restored under the executive orders of President Trump.

A bronze statue of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike — toppled in June 2020 during unrest following the killing of George Floyd — will soon return to Washington, D.C. The National Park Service (NPS) confirmed Monday that the White House has tasked them with restoring and reinstalling the statue in Judiciary Square.

Why the statue is coming back

The move follows executive orders from President Donald Trump aimed at “restoring truth and sanity to American history.” In a statement, the Park Service said the restoration “aligns with federal responsibilities under historic preservation law as well as recent executive orders to beautify the nation’s capital and re-instate pre-existing statues.”

According to Politico, Pike commanded a regiment of Native Americans who sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War. Union soldiers accused the unit of scalping Union soldiers in 1862. However, President Andrew Johnson later pardoned Pike. The Park Service notes the statue honors Pike primarily for his decades of post-war leadership in Freemasonry.

In 2020, demonstrators pulled the statue down with ropes and chains before setting it on fire. It has been in storage ever since, undergoing restoration at the Historic Preservation Training Center in Maryland. Site work for the reinstallation will soon begin, including repairs to broken stones and mounting components.

Pushback from local leaders

News of the restoration drew immediate criticism. Democratic Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the district’s non-voting representative, announced she will introduce legislation to have the statue permanently removed and relocated to a museum.

“The decision to honor Albert Pike by reinstalling the Pike statue is as odd and indefensible as it is morally objectionable,” Norton said. “Pike served dishonorably. He took up arms against the United States, misappropriated funds, and was ultimately captured and imprisoned by his own troops.” She added, “I’ve long believed Confederate statues should be placed in museums as historical artifacts, not remain in parks and locations that imply honor.”

Despite the opposition, the National Park Service says it plans to fully restore and reinstall the Pike statue this fall.

Craig Nigrelli is an anchor and reporter for Straight Arrow. As the face of Unbiased Updates and Media Miss Minute, he delivers concise, impartial, fact‑based context grounded in 35 years of reporting and anchoring across major U.S. markets.

Tags: George Floyd, Washington, Washington DC

Make SAN preferred on Google Show Transcript

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

A CONTROVERSIAL CIVIL WAR-ERA STATUE IS ABOUT TO GET NEW LIFE IN WASHINGTON D.C. – AND IT’S ALREADY SPARKING FRESH CONTROVERSY.

THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE SAYS THE STATUE OF CONFEDERATE GENERAL ALBERT PIKE – WILL BE RETURNING TO JUDICIARY SQUARE.

PROTESTORS TORE IT DOWN AND SET IT ON FIRE IN JUNE OF 2020, DURING THE HEIGHT OF DEMONSTRATIONS OVER THE POLICE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD.

PIKE COMMANDED A REGIMENT OF NATIVE AMERICANS WHO FOUGHT FOR THE CONFEDERACY – AND DESPITE ACCUSATIONS HIS UNIT SCALPED UNION SOLDIERS, HE WAS LATER PARDONED BY PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON.

THE STATUE HAS SAT IN STORAGE FOR YEARS AND IS NOW BEING RESTORED AT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION TRAINING CENTER IN MARYLAND.

THE PARK SERVICE SAYS THE REINSTALLATION -QUOTE- “ALIGNS WITH FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER HISTORIC PRESERVATION LAW ” And FOLLOWS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER TO “RESTORE TRUTH AND SANITY TO AMERICAN HISTORY.”

THE ANNOUNCEMENT DREW IMMEDIATE CRITICISM FROM D.C. DELEGATE ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, WHO CALLED IT “MORALLY OBJECTIONABLE” AND SAID PIKE “SERVED DISHONOARABLY.” SHE PLANS TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO MOVE THE STATUE TO A MUSEUM.

DESPITE THE PUSHBACK, THE PARK SERVICE PLANS TO HAVE THE RESTORED STATUE BACK ON PUBLIC DISPLAY AS EARLY AS OCTOBER.

FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.

Why this story matters

The reinstallation of a Confederate statue in Washington, D.C. raises questions about historical memory, federal authority, and local opposition, reflecting ongoing debates over how the nation commemorates controversial figures.

Historical memory

The restoration highlights debates on how the United States chooses to remember and represent figures from contentious periods of its past.

Federal and local authority

Differing priorities between federal orders and local representatives illustrate tensions over who determines the public landscape and which histories are honored.

Public response to monuments

Controversy and protest surrounding the statue emphasize broader public engagement with, and opposition to, Confederate memorials in American civic spaces.

Get the big picture

Synthesized coverage insights across 71 media outlets

Community reaction

Local officials, like D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, have voiced strong opposition — with Norton stating she will reintroduce legislation to permanently remove the statue. Some Freemason organizations emphasize Pike's Masonic, not Confederate, accomplishments.

Context corner

The statue of Albert Pike, a Confederate general and prominent Freemason, was dedicated in 1901 and later became controversial due to Pike's Confederate ties. Its removal and planned reinstatement tie into national debates on how historical figures are commemorated.

History lesson

Removal of Confederate monuments has occurred in several waves across US history, with many similar statues removed after the Civil War and especially after events highlighting racial injustice, such as the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

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Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left frame the statue’s removal as part of vital racial justice protests sparked by George Floyd’s death, emphasizing terms like “torn down” and “protests” to evoke a justified reckoning with systemic racism.
Not enough unique coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
Media outlets on the right focus on law and order, labeling those who removed it as “rioters” and highlighting the statue’s Freemasonry ties and restoration under Trump’s “Making DC Safe and Beautiful” executive orders.

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Media landscape

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71 total sources

Key points from the Left

A statue of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike, removed during protests in 2020, will be restored in Washington, D.C., as announced by the National Park Service.
The restoration aligns with federal responsibilities under historic preservation law and executive orders aimed at preserving historical statues.
Site preparation for the statue's restoration will begin shortly, aiming for reinstallation by October 2025.
The statue was vandalized after George Floyd's death, which sparked nationwide protests against racial injustice.

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Key points from the Center

On Monday, the National Park Service announced it will restore and reinstall the statue of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike in Washington, D.C., aiming for October 2025.
Following recent executive orders, the Albert Pike statue's return is authorized by President Donald Trump, with the statue toppled in June 2020 by rioters using ropes and set ablaze, according to the park service.
Restoration crews will start repairing the masonry plinth, including broken stone and mortar joints, at the National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center shortly.
Rights advocates argue the restoration undermines acknowledgment of critical phases of American history, and Eleanor Holmes Norton reintroduced a bill in February 2021 to remove Pike’s statue permanently.
More than 160 Confederate symbols were removed from public spaces in 2020, and Trump restored Fort Benning and Fort Bragg earlier this year despite federal law.

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Key points from the Right

The National Park Service will reinstall and restore the statue of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike, which was toppled during the 2020 protests.
The restoration aligns with federal historic preservation laws and aims to beautify the nation's capital, according to the National Park Service.
The statue, originally authorized by Congress in 1898, will be restored by the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Training Center, with completion expected by October 2025.
The restoration follows directives to protect American monuments.

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