The U.S. Institute of Peace, a federal agency created by Congress in 1984 to help resolve conflict, filed an emergency request Thursday with a federal appeals court. The agency wants the court to stop the administration from carving President Donald J. Trump’s name into the front of its headquarters.
Legal filing details
In the filing, the institute’s lawyers argue that the administration is “unsatisfied with the relative impermanence of external lettering” and has taken steps to prepare a permanent carving of the president’s name on the building’s façade. The filing states that a formal request for the work has been made and a contractor has been selected.
Background on the naming
Last December, the institute’s name was changed to the Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace after President Trump ordered the removal of the agency’s independent status. The president’s decision to rename the agency was part of a broader effort in his second term to place his name on federal landmarks.
Related disputes
The institute’s request comes as the administration is also pursuing a name change for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. A federal judge recently ordered the Kennedy Center’s board, which President Trump has filled with allies, to provide 30‑day notice before any demolition or new construction at the venue.
President Trump was photographed Wednesday night reviewing a poster that read “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.” He has warned that the center could be torn down without his intervention and fundraising, describing the facility as being in “very dangerous shape.”
Administration response
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment; no response was available at the time of publication.
Implications
If the court grants the institute’s request, the administration would be barred from proceeding with the carving, preserving the building’s current appearance. If the request is denied, the administration could move forward with the permanent inscription, further cementing President Trump’s legacy on federal properties.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
