US Institute of Peace renamed after Trump
President Donald Trump’s name was added to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) building in Washington, after the State Department renamed the organization on Wednesday.
The president’s name was added in large capitals ahead of the signing ceremony of the peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which will be held here on Thursday.
The institute was founded as an independent, nonprofit think tank funded by Congress, but the Trump administration’s efforts to exert control by cutting staff and budgets resulted in a legal battle between the two sides.
Trump campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize and often speaks of his achievements in global diplomacy.
The State Department announced the name change to the “Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace” on social media with a message saying it was done “to reflect the greatest negotiator in our nation’s history” and added “the best is yet to come.”
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly shared the message and wrote, “Congratulations to everyone.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio also commented on social media, saying that Trump is the “president of peace” and that it was time for the State Department to “show it.”
While the building is expected to serve as the venue for the signing of a new peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC, the Trump administration appears to have changed its approach to the USIP.
Earlier this year, the same building was one of the epicenters of the drama surrounding efforts by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Effectiveness (Doge), which he then led, to cut government spending.
The nonprofit’s staff was fired by the Trump administration and management replaced, until a judge intervened. The future of the organization is unclear with the matter still before the courts.
A message on the current USIP website now states: “The United States Institute of Peace is the nation’s independent, nonpartisan institute that supports the executive branch in resolving violent conflicts abroad. »
Since taking office in January for his second term in the White House, Trump has spearheaded several high-profile name changes.
The Ministry of Defense was renamed the Ministry of War. Trump also signed an order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and change the name of Denali to Mount McKinley.
And Republican lawmakers have proposed a number of branding changes to include the president’s name.
Congressman Paul Gosar proposed the creation of a new $500 bill with Trump’s portrait on it, and a bill was introduced in Congress calling for Dulles International Airport in Washington to be renamed in his honor.
