In a dramatic escalation of the year-long battle over control of the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Trump administration has officially rebranded the institution with the president’s name and placed new signage on the headquarters, even as the courts continue to wrestle with who actually runs the organization.
The renaming marks the latest chapter in a tug-of-war that began after the Department of Government Efficiency targeted the institute early this year. What had once been a largely academic, congressionally funded think tank devoted to conflict resolution has turned into the center of a fierce constitutional dispute.
The State Department announced on Wednesday that the facility will now operate as the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, saying the title was chosen to “reflect the greatest dealmaker in our nation’s history.” Fresh signage bearing the new name went up at the building located near the State Department.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly offered a blistering assessment of the institute’s past performance, declaring: “The United States Institute of Peace was once a bloated, useless entity that blew $50 million per year while delivering no peace.” She continued, “Now, the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, which is both beautifully and aptly named after a president who ended eight wars in less than a year, will stand as a powerful reminder of what strong leadership can accomplish for global stability.” She closed her statement with, “Congratulations, world!”
The legal fight over who controls the headquarters has seesawed since March, with the building shifting hands multiple times through court orders following the DOGE takeover. A final ruling from the federal appeals court remains unresolved.
The institute insists it is an independent body created by Congress and therefore not subject to executive authority. Washington’s stance, however, is that the organization falls squarely within the executive branch.
When Trump dismissed the institute’s board earlier this year, the entire staff was removed as well and the building was transferred to the General Services Administration. A federal district judge later overturned that move, returning control to the institute’s leadership, but the appeals court reversed the ruling only weeks later.
As a result, employees have been terminated twice, and the GSA currently holds the keys to the building.
Despite the institutional turbulence, the headquarters is slated to host a major diplomatic signing ceremony on Thursday. Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame are expected to sign a peace accord there, with senior figures from the African Union, Qatar, Uganda, the UAE, Angola, Burundi, Kenya and Togo in attendance, according to Kagame adviser Yolande Makolo.
Online, the institute’s website had not been updated with the new name as of Wednesday night, but its main headline read, “President Donald J. Trump to Sign Historic Peace Agreement at USIP Headquarters,” highlighting the Congo-Rwanda deal set to take place at the site.
The U.S. Institute of Peace traces its origins to the mid-1980s, when Congress founded it as an independent, federally funded nonprofit aimed at conflict prevention and resolution outside the purview of the State Department. President Ronald Reagan signed the enabling legislation in 1985. Before DOGE shut down its operations, the institute had an active presence in 26 conflict areas, including Afghanistan, Mali, Burkina Faso and Pakistan.
Adding to the swirl of attention around the rebranding, speculation is mounting that Trump will be honored with a new peace prize from FIFA during events surrounding the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
{Matzav.com}
