Quest For A Nobel: Trump Names Gutted US Institute Of Peace After Himself
WASHINGTON, DC -The prestigious US Institute of Peace (USIP), a federal think-tank constituted by the US Congress, has been renamed as the ‘Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.’ The White House says it will stand as a powerful marker of President Donald Trump’s approach to global stability.
The hunger for a Nobel Peace Prize by the current US President is well documented by the media, including his averring that he stopped the India-Pakistan conflict, which the Modi government has rubbished.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the decision, declaring that “the United States Institute of Peace was once a bloated, useless entity that blew $50 million per year while delivering no peace.” She added: “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.”
Multiple outlets reported that the renaming comes even as the building remains mired in a legal battle stemming from the administration’s attempt earlier this year to take control of the federally funded but independent institute through DOGE.
According to The Hill, US District Judge Beryl Howell found that Trump officials used “brute force” to take over USIP headquarters despite warnings that it “did not fall within the executive branch”.
Newsweek reported that the move proceeded “despite an ongoing legal battle over the administration’s attempt to seize control of what was an independent organization”.
USA Today noted that earlier in the year, the institute “sued the president and his Department of Government Efficiency, challenging the administration’s efforts to occupy its headquarters.”
The New York Times described the takeover as “an extraordinary public showdown,” reporting that the administration fired most of the staff, “gutted the organization,” and dismantled fixtures bearing the institute’s dove-and-olive-branch logo. It quoted former USIP lawyer George Foote as saying the renaming “adds insult to injury” and insisting that “the rightful owners will ultimately prevail.”
Created by Congress as a federally funded but independent body, the USIP headquarters was built in 2012 entirely with private donations on Navy-owned land. A ruling from the appeals court on control of the building is expected next year. (IANS)
