US Institute of Peace renamed after Trump ahead of Rwanda-DRC ceremony
The US Institute of Peace building in Washington has been renamed after President Donald Trump ahead of a planned Rwanda–DRC peace agreement signing at the venue. The change was announced by the State Department on Wednesday, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The building now bears the name “Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace” in large lettering. The ceremony between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo is scheduled to take place at the site on Thursday.
The United States Institute of Peace was established as an independent, non-profit organization funded by Congress to support conflict resolution. In recent months, the institute has been at the center of a legal dispute after the Trump administration moved to cut staff and budgets and replace its leadership.
According to court filings, a federal judge previously ruled that the government takeover of the building was unlawful, though the decision is currently stayed while an appeal is underway. Lawyer George Foote, who represents the former leadership and staff, told BBC that the new name amounted to “insult to injury,” noting that the legal challenge remains unresolved.
The renaming was announced by the US Department of State on social media, describing the move as a recognition of what it called Trump’s role in diplomacy. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly and Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly echoed the announcement.
Earlier this year, the USIP building was also involved in a separate dispute linked to spending cuts led by Elon Musk when he briefly headed the Department of Government Efficiency. During that period, institute staff were removed and leadership replaced, moves that later became the subject of court action.
Since returning to office in January for a second term, Trump has overseen several high-profile renamings. The Department of Defense was rebranded as the Department of War. He also signed orders to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and to change Denali back to Mount McKinley.
Separately, Republican lawmakers have proposed additional measures tied to the president’s name. Congressman Paul Gosar suggested issuing a new $500 banknote with Trump’s portrait, while another bill proposes renaming Dulles International Airport after him.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Donald Trump said he had nullified all documents signed by Joe Biden using an autopen, stating that those orders were terminated and carried no legal force.
