# Trump Is Fighting the Institute of Peace in Court. Now, His Name Is on the Building
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has become an unlikely battleground in a larger war over executive power and government authority. What began as an executive order in February 2025 has evolved into a protracted legal conflict that raises fundamental questions about the separation of powers, the independence of congressionally-created institutions, and the limits of presidential authority.
## The Takeover
In February 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating USIP as a federal entity subject to dissolution, claiming it represented unnecessary federal bureaucracy.[1] Within weeks, the situation escalated dramatically. On March 14, 2025, the White House notified certain board members of their termination.[2] Three days later, government agents—including personnel from the FBI, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—forcibly entered USIP headquarters, expelled its leadership, and attempted to seize control of the organization’s infrastructure.[2][4]
The scene was unprecedented for a congressionally-chartered nonprofit. Armed federal agents used a skeleton key held by a former security contractor to access the building, effectively conducting what multiple lawsuits would later describe as a “hostile takeover.”[4] USIP’s president, Moose, initially refused to vacate his office, and the standoff between the think tank’s board members and federal police drew national attention to the obscure but influential organization.[3]
Trump fired 11 of USIP’s 15 board members, retaining only the three ex officio members required by statute.[1] Kenneth Jackson was installed as acting president by DOGE, despite USIP’s contention that the entire process violated the organization’s statutory protections and congressional authority.[1]
## The Legal Battle
USIP and its board members immediately challenged the takeover in court. On March 18, 2025, they filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, represented by Zuckerman Spaeder LLP.[2] The plaintiffs argued that the executive order and subsequent actions were unconstitutional, violating the separation of powers by attempting to dismantle an independent nonprofit entity created by Congress. They contended that the removal of board members violated the United States Institute of Peace Act, which requires congressional involvement for such removals.[2]
On May 19, 2025, Judge Beryl A. Howell delivered a decisive ruling in favor of USIP. She determined that the Trump administration had exceeded its authority, declaring that USIP was not part of the executive branch and therefore outside the president’s direct control.[2] In particularly strong language, Judge Howell wrote that “the President’s efforts here to take over an organization outside of those bounds, contrary to statute established by Congress and by acts of force and threat using local and federal law enforcement officers, represented a gross usurpation of power.”[2]
The judge declared the change in USIP’s leadership unlawful and voided all actions taken by the “illegitimately-installed leaders.”[2] However, the Trump administration immediately appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
## The Appeals Court Decision
On June 27, 2025, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s decision, ruling in favor of the Trump administration.[1] The appellate court took a dramatically different view of presidential power, arguing that USIP wielded “substantial executive power in foreign policy decisions.” The court concluded that “[t]he president’s inability to control the Institute’s exercise of these ‘significant executive power[s]’ undermines his ability to set and pursue his foreign policy objective.”[1]
This decision marked a major victory for the administration and a setback for USIP’s independence. The ruling effectively validated Trump’s position that the president could exercise control over organizations involved in foreign policy matters, even if they were congressionally chartered and operated as independent nonprofits.
## Ongoing Complications
The conflict extended beyond the board dispute. In April 2025, fired employees, contractors, and donors filed a separate lawsuit challenging the takeover.[4] These plaintiffs alleged that DOGE’s actions constituted an illegal seizure of USIP’s assets, including its privately-owned $500 million building and its endowment, which was subsequently drained.[4] The lawsuit highlighted the real-world consequences of the takeover: employees and contractors working in active warzones abroad were terminated, and decades of peacebuilding work was disrupted.
Throughout 2025, the case continued to generate significant attention. In early October, amicus briefs supporting USIP were filed by former senior foreign policy and military officials as well as current and former members of Congress.[2] On October 15, USIP’s legal team moved to vacate an abeyance in the case, with the government filing its response in late October.[2]
## A Larger Pattern
USIP’s struggle was not isolated. The Trump administration simultaneously moved against other foreign policy institutions, effectively closing down AID, freezing funding for the National Endowment for Democracy, canceling State Department grants, and ordering the Wilson Center to dramatically downsize.[3] Critics pointed to influence from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that had criticized USIP for allegedly favoring Democratic-leaning appointments and operating with insufficient transparency.[3]
## The Fundamental Question
As of December 2025, the legal battles continue, with Trump’s name now effectively on the building and his administration controlling USIP’s operations. The core question remains unresolved: Can a president dismantle or take control of an independent nonprofit created by Congress? The appeals court has suggested yes, but the fight over USIP’s independence—and the independence of similar institutions—is far from over. What began as an attempt to reduce federal bureaucracy has become a test case for the boundaries of executive power in the twenty-first century.
Original source: NPR News – Trump is fighting the Institute of Peace in court. Now, his name is on the building