US Institute of Peace officially renamed for Trump as White House moves to dismantle agency: 'Congratulations'
The U.S. Institute of Peace has been officially rebranded as the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace; This marks the latest step in the president’s months-long effort to dismantle the congressionally created institution.
The name change comes after a tumultuous year for the agency, which the Trump administration sought to shut down while shifting authority to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The institute is challenging the move in federal court, but the layoffs continued after an appeals court lifted a lower court order that temporarily blocked the administration’s plan.
The agency’s website briefly went offline Wednesday morning before returning with Trump’s promotion of the upcoming peace agreement ceremony between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
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White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the renaming, telling Fox News Digital that the old institute was “a bloated, useless entity that spends $50 million a year without bringing peace.”
“Now, the Donald J. Trump Peace Institute, named both beautifully and aptly for 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,” Kelly said.
He added that Trump “ended eight wars in less than a year,” framing the institute’s new name as recognition of his “peace through strength” approach.
“Congratulations world!” Kelly said.
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Secretary Marco Rubio echoed that sentiment in a post responding to the announcement.
“President Trump will be remembered by history as the President of Peace,” Rubio wrote. “It’s time for our State Department to show that.”
The U.S. Institute of Peace was established by Congress in 1984 as a nonpartisan organization that supports conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts abroad. Its dissolution and transformation into an organization bearing the Trump name represents one of the most sweeping institutional overhauls of Trump’s second term.
Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the administration’s shutdown effort was unlawful. But the decision was delayed during the appeal phase, paving the way for layoffs in July as management continued to restructure the organization and delegate functions to other locations.
The institute did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment on the rebranding or the status of the ongoing legal challenge.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
