By Jennifer Hansler, CNN
Photo: AFP / Jim Watson
US President Donald Trump's name has been installed on the building and signage around the US Institute of Peace (USIP) - an independent agency that the administration gutted earlier this year.
The president's moniker appeared on the Washington, DC, headquarters ahead of a peace agreement signing ceremony between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) due to take place there on Thursday.
"Welcome to the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace. The best is yet to come," the State Department posted on X Wednesday, announcing it had renamed the institute "to reflect the greatest dealmaker in our nation's history".
The Trump administration has essentially shuttered the institute, which works to resolve conflict and was created by Congress in 1984. The administration's budget request for the next fiscal year called for the elimination of federal funding for USIP.
President Donald Trump's name is seen recently placed on the outside of the United States Institute of Peace headquarters. Photo: ANNA MONEYMAKER / AFP
USIP is not a federal agency, and it owns and manages its headquarters. The administration's takeover of the institute, including its building and assets, has been the subject of extensive litigation.
In March, officials at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) attempted to forcibly obtain access to the building, before returning days later accompanied by police.
The administration fired most of USIP's board in March. Employees were terminated in July, after initially receiving termination notices in late March.
"Renaming the USIP building adds insult to injury," George Foote, counsel for former USIP leadership and staff, said in a statement Wednesday.
"A federal judge has already ruled that the government's armed takeover was illegal. That judgment is stayed while the government appeals, which is the only reason the government continues to control the building. The rightful owners will ultimately prevail and will restore the US Institute of Peace and the building to their statutory purposes," Foote added.
A former USIP official said of Trump: "It's pretty ironic that he put his name on an institution he destroyed."
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the move in a statement, arguing that USIP "was once a bloated, useless entity that blew US$50 million per year while delivering no peace".
"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 said.
- CNN
