Why Did DOGE Break Into The United States Institute of Peace Today?

The United States Institute of Peace may not regularly be at the forefront of most Americans’ minds. Still, their work is critical in helping de-escalate armed conflicts across the globe.

Founded in 1984, USIP’s mission was clear: “serve the people and the government through the widest possible range of education and training, basic and applied research opportunities, and peace information services on the means to promote international peace and the resolution of conflicts among the nations and peoples of the world without recourse to violence”.

They appear to meet the mission of Trump, who has said on many occasions he wants to end wars in Ukraine and Gaza, even promising he’d do both within 24 hours of being elected (though he recently said he was being sarcastic).

So why are DOGE staffers forcing their way into USIP’s building?

Last Friday, USIP’s current board of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Defense University President Peter Garvin fired USIP President and CEO George Moose.

Speaking by phone from his office, Moose said “DOGE has broken into our building."

"What has happened here today is an illegal takeover by elements of the executive branch of a private nonprofit."

USIP is not in a Federal Building, the Executive Branch has no authority over it, and no one there is employed by the Federal government.

The private security was let go and “police on Monday helped DOGE members enter the building”. There’s no word on how police “helped” DOGE staff but I would imagine it involved the kind of vandalism Pam Bondi would send you to prison for if it happened at a Tesla dealership.

What’s interesting is this document I found on USIP’s website that outlines what to do “in the Absence of Appropriations”.

https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/USIP-Plan-for-Operations-in-the-Absence-of-Appropriations-2025.pdf

USIP was targeted in one of Trump’s Executive Orders and there has been a legal battle about whether or not they’d be subject to the same surgical sledgehammer Elon’s Boglins have used across our government’s infrastructure.

The front page of the USIP website has this upcoming event (likely to be canceled I’m sure) regarding U.S.-India relations in regards to “a changing Middle East”, including a photo of Trump and Modi.

So why target USIP at all? It’s a private non-profit, not part of the government, and doing work that Trump seemingly would support.

The answer is China and Russia.

The USIP website says recent work has involved “projecting U.S. influence and bolstering partner countries in regions destabilized by China and other U.S. adversaries". They talk about some of their recent Congressional briefings which have focused on “transnational criminal networks with links to China, crime and mass migration in Central America, and critical minerals in Africa.” They also say their priorities are “to counter the destabilizing influence of China and other strategic rivals in fragile states”.

In other words, USIP has been making things difficult for Russia, and Trump wants Putin to be happier than any American. They’ve also been making things difficult for China and Elon wants Xi to be happier than any American.

That means USIP has to go.

The former Board Chair, Amb. John Sullivan, who again Trump fired, leaves this glowing message on the website:

Nothing placates a fascist, but nice try, John.