President Donald Trump’s name has been added to the sign on the United States Institute of Peace headquarters in downtown D.C., above the existing building name.
Workers early Wednesday affixed large silver letters reading “Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace” to the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the U.S. Institute of Peace, a move that formalizes President Donald Trump’s decision to rename the organization after himself, while attempting to dismantle it.
The State Department’s X account shared a photo of the new facade on Wednesday in a post that called Trump “the greatest dealmaker in our nation’s history,“ an apparent reference to his work to end multiple conflicts around the world. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X about the name change that “President Trump will be remembered by history as the President of Peace. It’s time our State Department display that.”
Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for Trump, confirmed the new name to multiple outlets, describing the original institute as “a bloated, useless entity that blew $50 million per year while delivering no peace.” She said the updated title is “beautifully and aptly named after a president who ended eight wars in less than a year” and claimed the building will now serve as a reminder of what, in her words, strong leadership can achieve for global security.
The rebranding caps months of turmoil inside the institution. Earlier this year, the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency—led by former adviser Elon Musk—swept out the non-profit’s president, nearly all employees, and most members of its 12-seat board. Although Congress established the USIP in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan to promote conflict resolution and support peacebuilding, its fate has been uncertain since the takeover.
Legal uncertainty continues to surround the institute. A federal judge ruled in May that the mass personnel overhaul was “effectuated by illegally installed leaders who lacked legal authority to take these actions, which must therefore be declared null and void.” However, Judge Beryl Howell declined to issue an order halting the administration’s control, noting the organization’s unusual status as a congressionally created but independently operated body. In June, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit paused a lower-court ruling that had blocked the administration from dismantling the USIP during ongoing litigation. The panel wrote that “The President faces irreparable harm from not being able to fully exercise his executive powers,” and suggested the government may ultimately succeed in arguing that the institute’s structure is unconstitutional because of its board’s removal protections. A full hearing on the issue has since been delayed, and the building has been moved under the control of the General Services Administration.
Former staff and board members remain sharply critical, with their attorney, George Foote, stating that the name change “adds insult to injury,” stressing that a judge has already deemed the takeover unlawful—even if that ruling is on hold during appeal. Foote said: “The rightful owners will ultimately prevail and will restore the U.S. Institute of Peace and the building to their statutory purposes.”
Editorial credit: Kurt Pacaud / Shutterstock.com
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