Story perspectives

Petition Filed to Block Trump Name Carving in DC

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 6:15 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Institute of Peace board members filed a petition to block carving President Donald Trump's name onto Washington, D.C., headquarters.
The petition was filed Thursday in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Attorneys warn the carving would cause irreparable harm to the building's design.
Trump's name was added in removable silver lettering to the façade in December.

History

Historical Context

Alaska’s 1975 request to replace the federally imposed Mount McKinley with the native name Denali was blocked for decades until Interior Secretary Sally Jewell officially renamed the peak in August 2015. The 2024 U.S. Institute of Peace petition to bar Donald Trump’s name from its Washington headquarters echoes that long-standing struggle over politically imposed naming.

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Story summary

U.S. Institute of Peace board members filed a petition to block carving President Donald Trump's name onto Washington, D.C., headquarters.
The petition was filed Thursday in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Attorneys warn the carving would cause irreparable harm to the building's design.
Trump's name was added in removable silver lettering to the façade in December.

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