President Donald Trump added his name to the sign outside the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, DC. He plans to host the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo there on Thursday to sign a US-brokered peace deal. The decision follows the administration’s earlier push to seize control of the institute.
This year, Trump officials removed staff and installed new leadership. A federal judge later blocked the move and called it a “gross usurpation of power.” Since then, the congressionally funded institute has operated in a stalled state.
When asked about the new signage, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly suggested the institute now carries Trump’s name. She claimed the “Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace” honors a president who “ended eight wars in less than a year.” Historians and analysts dispute that claim, noting that several conflicts remain unresolved, including the Israel-Hamas war.
The institute did not comment on the renaming or the event.
Congo’s crisis adds urgency to Thursday’s meeting. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group seized major cities in eastern Congo this year, raising fears of a wider conflict. The United States helped broker a peace deal in June, and Trump aims to finalize it with both leaders this week.
