U.S. Institute of Peace renamed as Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace

The U.S. Institute of Peace has been officially renamed the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, marking the latest step in the president’s months-long effort to dismantle the agency created by Congress.

The name change comes after a turbulent year for the organization, which the Trump administration sought to shut down while transferring its authority to the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE).

The institute opposed the move in federal court, but the layoffs came after an appeals court stayed a lower court ruling that temporarily blocked the administration’s plan.

The agency’s website went offline briefly Wednesday morning before returning with a promotion of Trump’s upcoming peace agreement ceremony between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

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President Donald Trump’s name was recently displayed outside the headquarters of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) building on Wednesday in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the name change, telling Fox News Digital that the old institute was “a bloated, unnecessary entity that was spending $50 million a year without bringing peace.”

“Now the Donald J. Trump Institute for Peace, both beautifully and aptly named for a president who ended eight wars in less than a year, will serve as a powerful reminder of what strong leadership can accomplish for global stability,” Kelly said.

She added that Trump “ended eight wars in less than a year,” describing the institute’s new name as a recognition of his “peace through strength” approach.

“Congratulations, world!” Kelly said.

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President Donald Trump’s name is seen on the headquarters of the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the sentiment in a message responding to the announcement.

“History will remember President Trump as the President of Peace,” Rubio wrote. “It’s time for our State Department to put this on display.”

The United States Institute of Peace was established by Congress in 1984 as a nonpartisan organization supporting conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts abroad. The dismantling and renaming into an entity named Trump represents one of the most radical overhauls of Trump’s second term.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo at the State Department June 27, 2025 in Washington. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the administration’s shutdown efforts were illegal. But the decision was stayed on appeal, paving the way for layoffs in July as the administration restructured the agency and continued to shift functions elsewhere.

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The institute did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment on the rebranding or the status of its ongoing legal challenge.

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.