Trump Admin Replaces US Institute of Peace President

Trump administration officials, accompanied by law enforcement, entered the US Institute of Peace building to remove its leadership despite claims that the organization is not under executive branch control.

Key Takeaways

The Trump administration fired most of the US Institute of Peace’s bipartisan board and removed acting president George Moose as part of broader government reduction efforts.
Kenneth Jackson, a former State Department official, was installed as the new president with assistance from DOGE staffers and a police escort.
The Institute claims it is an independent non-profit organization not subject to executive branch authority, setting up potential legal challenges.
The White House justified the action by citing non-compliance with President Trump’s February executive order to downsize certain government entities.
The conflict highlights broader tensions between the Trump administration’s government reduction goals and the statutory independence of certain federal institutions.

Confrontation at the Peace Institute

The Trump administration has taken control of the US Institute of Peace (USIP) in what some observers are calling a dramatic showdown. Officials from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) entered the USIP headquarters in Washington DC in order to install Kenneth Jackson as the new president of the organization. The action came as part of President Trump’s broader effort to reduce government size and implement his “America First” agenda, specifically targeting organizations deemed unnecessary or wasteful.

However, George Moose, who was fired as USIP president, reportedly attempted to deny what the government called “lawful access” to Jackson. “The only unlawful individual was Mr. Moose, who refused to comply, and even tried to fire USIP’s private security team when said security team went to give access to Mr. Jackson,” DOGE said in a statement.

Police officers reportedly arrived onsite and ended up escorting Jackson into the building. According to White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, this incident occurred because of noncompliance with a Trump order demanding the elimination or reduction of multiple agencies. “11 board members were lawfully removed, and remaining board members appointed Kenneth Jackson acting president,” she said.

Moose, however, has promised to take legal action on the matter, calling the incident an “illegal takeover.” Democratic Congressman Don Beyer was also present during the confrontation, describing himself as there to “conduct congressional oversight” over what he termed “DOGE’s break in.” No arrests were made despite a call to police reporting unlawful entry.

Executive Authority Disputed

At the heart of the dispute is whether the US Institute of Peace falls under executive branch authority. The institute, established by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, describes itself as an independent organization despite receiving congressional funding of approximately $55 million annually. USIP representatives maintain that as a Congressionally-chartered non-profit organization, they are not subject to direct White House control and cannot be summarily dismantled by executive order.

The White House strongly disputed this characterization. Spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the administration’s actions, stating: “Rogue bureaucrats will not be allowed to hold agencies hostage. The Trump administration will enforce the President’s executive authority and ensure his agencies remain accountable to the American people.”

The USIP situation mirrors similar conflicts between the Trump administration and other organizations named in the February executive order, including the US African Development Foundation, the Inter-American Foundation, and the Presidio Trust. Legal challenges have already been filed by some affected entities, with mixed results so far. The administration’s broader agenda includes significant reductions in foreign aid budgets, with Senator Rubio recently canceling over 80% of US development assistance programs, reflecting President Trump’s view that such aid is often wasteful.