A legal fight is growing over plans to permanently carve President Donald Trump’s name into the U.S. Institute of Peace building in Washington, D.C.
Former members of the institute’s board filed an emergency motion in federal court Thursday, asking a judge to stop the work before it begins. They say permanently altering the building could cause harm that cannot easily be undone while their broader lawsuit over control of the organization is still ongoing.
The dispute centers on the building’s exterior. Trump’s name was added to the facade in December, but the letters were attached to the building and can be removed. The new court filing is aimed at stopping a more permanent change: carving his name directly into the stone.
In their motion, the former board members argue that the headquarters was largely funded through private donations and was designed to represent the institute’s independent mission. They say carving a new name into the facade would change that message while the legal case is unresolved.
The U.S. Institute of Peace was created by Congress during Ronald Reagan’s presidency and has focused on peacebuilding, conflict prevention and training. The organization has been involved in a legal battle with the Trump administration since 2025, after the administration sought to take control of the nonprofit and remove members of its leadership.
A federal judge ruled in May 2025 that the administration’s effort to dismantle the institute was unlawful, but an appeals court later paused that ruling while the broader legal dispute continued.
The latest motion also comes just days after a separate fight over Trump’s name at the Kennedy Center. In that case, a federal judge blocked the addition of Trump’s name to the building without congressional approval. The Institute of Peace filing points to that dispute as another reason to wait before making its own change permanent.
For now, the proposed carving has not been completed. The former board members want the court to prevent any permanent alteration until their underlying case is resolved. The White House had not immediately responded to requests for comment when the motion was reported.
The judge’s response to the emergency request will determine whether the planned work can move forward while the larger legal battle over the institute continues.