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US Institute of Peace Faces Leadership Shake-Up Amid Trump and Musk’s Cost-Cutting Campaign
(Image: A sign for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is displayed at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. on February 20, 2025. — Reuters)
In a striking turn of events, leaders aligned with President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk took charge of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on Monday, resulting in the dismissal of the center’s president. The USIP, a taxpayer-funded organization dedicated to conflict resolution, found itself at the center of a controversial power shift.
This dispute, though devoid of physical conflict, marked a bold confrontation in Trump’s ongoing efforts to reshape Washington and push forward his "America First" policy. Just last month, Trump mandated a review of USIP, which was initially established by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 to prevent and resolve international disputes, instructing that it be “reduced as much as legally possible.”
In a press release, the institute stated it had been cooperating with Musk’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, and asserted that its operations were financially responsible. The USIP highlighted that it owned its facility—a modern building with expansive views of the National Mall—and operated with a $55 million budget allocated directly by Congress.
Despite this, DOGE officials were skeptical. On Monday, when they attempted to access the building, USIP denied entry, leading to a statement from acting president George Moose claiming, “DOGE has forcibly entered our premises.”
Under the Trump administration’s directive, all members of the USIP’s bipartisan board were terminated except for three, which included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In a communication released on Friday and later shared on social media by DOGE, it was announced that Moose had been dismissed, with claims that he obstructed access to the new president of the institute, who was brought in with police assistance.
Moose expressed his distress over the situation, stating, “It’s a troubling day for everyone involved that this misunderstanding about our mission has escalated to the point of trying to shut us down.”
Kenneth Jackson, a former State Department employee involved in reducing the budget for the U.S. Agency for International Development, has been appointed as the new president. Trump has shown a penchant for dismantling government agencies, often labeling federal aid as a misuse of taxpayer dollars—a sentiment echoed by Rubio, who has slashed more than 80% of foreign aid.
Since assuming office again, Trump and Musk have pursued a strategy to dismantle entire departments, often encountering legal challenges as they navigate Congress’s budgetary mandates. Just this past weekend, Trump made moves to eliminate longstanding U.S.-funded international broadcasting services, including the Voice of America.
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