After entering office for his second term, one of President Trump’s primary objectives involved assembling the Department of Government Efficiency, which rooted out wasteful spending across the federal government.
As part of that effort, several bloated agencies had their budgets stripped, and the US Institute of Peace was essentially shut down entirely.
But now the institute is back with not only a new directive, but a new name.
As the Daily Caller reported:
The State Department renamed the abandoned U.S. Institute of Peace after President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
The U.S. Institute of Peace was seized by the Trump administration in March, and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) removed its staff.
The New York Times (NYT) reported that the building has remained empty since. The agency is now called the Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace, and the new title is already displayed on the facility.
The news received social media attention from high-ranking Trump administration officials and ordinary Americans alike:
President Trump will be remembered by history as the President of Peace. It's time our State Department display that. https://t.co/NBvmL5zksn
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) December 3, 2025
If there’s anyone that knows about peace or teaching how to achieve it, it’s President Trump! Excellent! 🔥🇺🇸
— 🌷✨Lisa Diaz✨🌷 (@lcdiaz001) December 4, 2025
Here’s a reminder of why the institute was shut down in the first place:
Another government entity that was found to be squandering our tax dollars..
..I give you 👇🏼The U.S. Institute of Peace. pic.twitter.com/QbyUM1sQks
— LD Basler (@ArmaLite15OU812) April 29, 2025
The White House is clearly on board with the new name, but officials of the former Institute of Peace weren’t so keen on the idea, as the AP reported:
Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, said: “The United States Institute of Peace was once a bloated, useless entity that blew $50 million per year while delivering no peace. Now, the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, which is both beautifully and aptly named after 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.”
ADVERTISEMENTShe added, “Congratulations, world!”
George Foote, a lawyer for the institute’s former leadership and staff, said the renaming “adds insult to injury.”
“A federal judge has already ruled that the government’s armed takeover was illegal. That judgment is stayed while the government appeals, which is the only reason the government continues to control the building,” Foote said.
And here’s how Trump reacted to the honor:
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