The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has been thrown into an unprecedented political storm.
On March 15, the Trump administration abruptly dismissed most of the USIP board members, appointing a new interim chairman, and later deployed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) agents, escorted by Washington D.C. police, to seize control of the think tank’s headquarters.
This move has triggered fierce controversy and an impending legal battle.
According to the Associated Press, the USIP was established by Congress in 1984 as an independent nonprofit organization, not a federal agency.
However, the Trump administration proceeded with its drastic board reshuffling, assigning Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Defense University President Peter Garvin to appoint Kenneth Jackson as the new interim chairman, replacing former interim chairman George Moose.
The USIP has vehemently rejected this appointment, declaring that it does not recognize the legitimacy of the new leadership.
The situation escalated further on March 18. CNN reported that DOGE personnel, accompanied by law enforcement officers, forcibly entered the USIP building, clashing with security personnel.
Moose condemned the move as an 'illegal takeover' and emphasized that the institution was designed to operate independently.
Shockingly, Washington D.C. police ultimately sided with DOGE agents, facilitating their entry into the premises.
The incident sent shockwaves through Washington, prompting Democratic Congressman Don Beyer to rush to the scene and denounce the administration's actions as 'blatantly illegal,' vowing to bring the matter before Congress.
USIP is now preparing to take legal action to challenge the Trump administration’s intervention.
Analysts suggest that the case will hinge on how the courts interpret USIP's legal status.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration defended its decision, stating that the move was necessary to align national security policies with the administration’s strategic goals.
The controversy raises an important question: Can American think tanks maintain their independence in the face of political interference? When the government directly intervenes in academic institutions and attempts to influence their decision-making, does this pose a long-term threat to the formulation of unbiased policies? Scholars argue that this is not just a crisis for the USIP, but a test of the independence of democratic institutions as a whole.