Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump Name Carving at Peace Institute
A federal appeals court blocked the Trump administration from carving President Donald Trump’s name into the U.S. Institute of Peace headquarters in Washington. A divided three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit granted the independent nonprofit’s request to halt the engraving on Sept. 30, 2026. The legal battle over the building’s facade is part of a broader fight regarding presidential removal powers and federal real estate.
Judicial Panel Split on Institute Request
Judge Cornelia Pillard, a Barack Obama appointee, and Senior Judge Harry Edwards, a Jimmy Carter appointee, voted to grant the emergency motion filed by attorneys for the institute. Judge Karen Henderson, a George H.W. Bush appointee, dissented in the one-page order, stating she would have rejected the request. Attorneys for the institute argued that the threat of carving the name into stone justified immediate intervention while a separate appeal proceeds.
The dispute follows months of conflict over the future of the federal entity. Established by Congress in 1984, the U.S. Institute of Peace was targeted for elimination when Trump announced workforce reduction plans in February 2025. Members of a government efficiency unit previously led by Elon Musk entered the headquarters the following month to access computer systems, according to institute filings.
Justice Department Denies Plans to Carve Trump Name into Stone
Justice Department attorneys filed a response brief stating that while the State Department researched possible engraving options for the building, there are currently no plans to carve Trump’s name into the stone. The administration previously affixed external lettering bearing the president’s name to the facade. Institute lawyers noted in court documents that the physical threat of permanent carving altered the legal calculus.
A federal judge ruled last year that Trump lacked the legal authority to remove Senate-confirmed board members from the institute. Washington’s federal appeals court later lifted that ruling while the government pursues its appeal. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled in June to allow the termination of Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, expanding presidential removal authority.
Similar Legal Disputes Involving Washington Landmarks
The Institute of Peace case mirrors other administration efforts to alter Washington landmarks. The Justice Department is defending actions by a handpicked Kennedy Center board to rename the performing arts venue for Trump or add acknowledgments to its exterior. A federal judge blocked that renaming effort, and that case remains pending before the Washington federal appeals court.
Litigation is also active regarding proposals to construct a triumphal arch at Memorial Circle, demolish the White House East Wing to build a new ballroom, and paint the granite exterior of a 19th-century White House office building. The case is United States Institute of Peace v. Kenneth Jackson, No. 25-05185.
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