Trump added his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace building while fighting the organization in court
The move comes in the middle of a months-long battle triggered by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which targeted the congressionally funded peace organization earlier this year. The administration seized the building, dismissed the institute’s board and staff, and turned the property over to the General Services Administration (GSA) before unveiling the new name.
A State Department spokesperson defended the change, calling Trump “the greatest dealmaker in our nation’s history” and framing the renaming as a symbol of “strong leadership” in global stability.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly went further, criticizing the former institute:
“The United States Institute of Peace was once a bloated, useless entity… Now, the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace… will stand as a powerful reminder of what strong leadership can accomplish.”
But USIP’s former leadership sees the situation differently. Attorney George Foote, representing ousted board members and staff, said the renaming “adds insult to injury,” noting that a federal judge previously ruled the government’s armed takeover illegal. That judgment is currently stayed as the case moves through appeals court.
Since March, control of the headquarters has changed hands multiple times as courts issue and reverse rulings. Employees have been fired twice, and the building remains under GSA authority.
Despite the turmoil, the building is set to host a major diplomatic event: a peace agreement signing between the Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, with high-level African and Gulf leaders expected to attend.
USIP’s website, still showing its original name, promoted the upcoming signing event led by Trump.
The U.S. Institute of Peace was established by Congress in 1984 as an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan institution, designed to operate outside executive branch control. It maintained operations in more than 25 conflict zones until DOGE shut it down earlier this year.
Amid the controversy, rumors continue to swirl that Trump may receive a special peace award from FIFA during the World Cup draw in Washington on Friday
In a striking escalation of an already heated legal fight, the Trump administration has officially renamed the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) as the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, placing the former president’s name prominently on the organization’s Washington headquarters—even as federal courts continue to determine who legally controls the institute.
The move comes in the middle of a months-long battle triggered by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which targeted the congressionally funded peace organization earlier this year. The administration seized the building, dismissed the institute’s board and staff, and turned the property over to the General Services Administration (GSA) before unveiling the new name.
A State Department spokesperson defended the change, calling Trump “the greatest dealmaker in our nation’s history” and framing the renaming as a symbol of “strong leadership” in global stability.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly went further, criticizing the former institute:
“The United States Institute of Peace was once a bloated, useless entity… Now, the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace… will stand as a powerful reminder of what strong leadership can accomplish.”
But USIP’s former leadership sees the situation differently. Attorney George Foote, representing ousted board members and staff, said the renaming “adds insult to injury,” noting that a federal judge previously ruled the government’s armed takeover illegal. That judgment is currently stayed as the case moves through appeals court.
Since March, control of the headquarters has changed hands multiple times as courts issue and reverse rulings. Employees have been fired twice, and the building remains under GSA authority.
Despite the turmoil, the building is set to host a major diplomatic event: a peace agreement signing between the Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, with high-level African and Gulf leaders expected to attend.
USIP’s website, still showing its original name, promoted the upcoming signing event led by Trump.
The U.S. Institute of Peace was established by Congress in 1984 as an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan institution, designed to operate outside executive branch control. It maintained operations in more than 25 conflict zones until DOGE shut it down earlier this year.
Amid the controversy, rumors continue to swirl that Trump may receive a special peace award from FIFA during the World Cup draw in Washington on Friday
Source: Associated Press
