EXCLUSIVE: Trump Slapped With Emergency Court Bid to Block His Name From Being Permanently Carved Into Washington Landmark
Trump is facing an emergency court bid to stop his name from being permanently carved into the United States Institute of Peace headquarters.
Sept. 18 2026, Published 2:58 p.m. ET
Donald Trump has been slapped with an emergency court bid seeking to stop his name from being permanently carved into the façade of a prominent Washington, D.C., landmark, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
According to court documents obtained by Radar, lawyers representing the United States Institute of Peace asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on September 17 to partially lift an existing stay and block any permanent engraving of the president's name while a bitter legal fight over control of the organization continues.
Contractor Already 'Selected'
Trump's name is already displayed on the United States Institute of Peace headquarters.
The emergency motion claims plans to permanently alter the USIP headquarters have progressed beyond simply discussing the idea.
Lawyers said they received information indicating steps had been taken to prepare for Trump's name to be carved directly into the building.
The filing stated: "Appellees understand that a formal request for the work has been made and a contractor has been selected."
Trump's name is already displayed on the headquarters in lettering attached to the exterior.
Lawyers Warn Engraving Would Cause ‘Irreparable Harm’
USIP lawyers are seeking emergency court intervention over plans to permanently engrave Trump's name.
But USIP's lawyers argued permanently carving it into the façade would represent a far more consequential change to a building they describe as privately owned and specifically designed to symbolize the institute's independent mission.
They claimed altering the architecture while ownership and control remain contested would cause "irreparable harm."
The filing contains a particularly pointed argument against allowing the proposed engraving to proceed before the appeal is resolved.
USIP's lawyers said the opposing side should not be permitted to use the existing court stay to "literally set things in stone" by permanently stamping its position in the underlying dispute onto the headquarters.
USIP Seeks Emergency Block on Engraving
USIP lawyers asked the government for assurances that Trump's name would not be permanently carved into the building.
They are asking the appeals court for narrowly tailored relief preventing Trump's name from being carved into any part of the USIP building or placed permanently on other structures on the property.
Before filing the emergency motion, USIP's lawyers said they approached attorneys for the government and requested assurances that Trump’s name would not be carved into the building while the litigation remained pending.
According to the filing, government counsel said they were unaware of any "imminent" plans to carry out the work. However, the attorneys allegedly stopped short of confirming that no engraving would take place before the case is resolved.
The government opposes the emergency motion.
Legal Battle Over USIP Control Escalates
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The engraving dispute is unfolding amid a wider court battle over control of USIP.
The latest showdown comes amid a much larger battle over control of USIP.
A federal district judge previously sided with USIP's ousted leadership and issued orders aimed at reversing steps taken to dismantle the organization, but the D.C. Circuit stayed that relief while the government appealed.
USIP previously failed in an effort to partially lift that stay in November 2025, when the appeals court ruled it had not demonstrated sufficiently changed circumstances.
Its lawyers now argue the threatened permanent engraving changes that equation — and warrants emergency intervention before Trump's name is literally carved into stone.
