President Donald Trump’s administration has controversially rebranded the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) to include his name, following a takeover of the organization and significant cuts to its funding.
On Wednesday, Dec. 3, the State Department announced that the institute — a congressionally funded but independent think tank — will now be known as the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, claiming the change “reflects the greatest dealmaker in our nation’s history.”
Images of the institute’s Washington, D.C. headquarters show Trump’s name displayed prominently above the main entrance.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move on X, writing:
“President Trump will be remembered by history as the President of Peace. It’s time our State Department display that.”
The renaming comes amid a legal battle over control of the institute, which was established in 1985 under President Ronald Reagan to advance global conflict resolution. Despite receiving congressional funding, the USIP operates independently and owns its headquarters, complicating government attempts to assert authority over it, CNN reports.
The branding — and the symbolic elevation of his legacy — has sparked debate surrounding the administration’s intervention in a historically nonpartisan institution.
