US Institute of Peace named after Trump amid administration's court battle

The U.S. Institute of Peace has been named after President Trump amid the administration's ongoing court battle over control of the think tank.

The State Department, which is across the street from the institute, said Wednesday that it renamed the think tank to the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace to “reflect the greatest dealmaker in our nation’s history,” The according to the Associated Press. The new name is up on the building.

“The United States Institute of Peace was once a bloated, useless entity that blew $50 million per year while delivering no peace," said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly. 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.”

A lawyer for the institute's former leadership and staff, George Foote, said the renaming “adds insult to injury.”

“A federal judge has already ruled that the government’s armed takeover was illegal," he also said. "That judgment is stayed while the government appeals, which is the only reason the government continues to control the building." 

The renaming comes as the institute is expected to be the backdrop for the signing of a peace agreement on Thursday between Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.

The institute website's lead item was headlined, “President Donald J. Trump to Sign Historic Peace Agreement at USIP Headquarters,” followed by a write-up of the deal between Congo and Rwanda that Trump is overseeing.

Leadership of the USIP headquarters has changed multiple times since March in court actions related to the Department of Government Efficiency takeover. A final decision on the institute's leadership is pending in a federal appeals court.

USIP has maintained that it is an independent creation of Congress and outside the president’s executive authority. However, the Trump administration argues that the think tank is an executive branch organization.

Trump fired the institute’s board in the spring, followed by the firing of the staff, and the building was turned over to the General Services Administration.

In May, a federal district court overturned the action, putting the headquarters back under USIP leadership. A federal appeals court reversed the action weeks later.

President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law creating the institute in 1985. It was described as an independent, nonprofit think tank funded by Congress, with a mission to work to promote peace and prevent and end conflicts while operating outside normal channels such as the State Department. The institute was operating in 26 conflict zones, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mali, and Burkina Faso, when DOGE shut it down.