ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump’s name has been added to the headquarters of the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC as the administration continues its controversial efforts to take control of the body.

The rebranded signage appeared ahead of a Rwanda-Democratic Republic of Congo peace agreement ceremony set for Thursday.

The State Department said on US social media company X that the institute had been renamed the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.

"This morning, the State Department renamed the former Institute of Peace to reflect the greatest dealmaker in our nation's history," it said, reflecting the administration’s efforts to paint Trump as a peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Prize.

Created by Congress in 1984, the institute is an independent body focused on conflict resolution. Although it is not a federal agency, soon after taking office this January the administration sought to seize the building and its assets, prompting ongoing legal disputes.

In March, Elon Musk's unofficial Department of Government Efficiency team tried to forcibly enter the facility, returning days later with police support. Most board members were dismissed in March, and employees were terminated in July.

Their court challenge, arguing that the institute is not part of the executive branch, continues, with a possible final ruling next year. The Trump administration has called the institute wasteful.

George Foote, a former lawyer for the body who is now part of the lawsuit against the administration, said in a Wednesday statement quoted by The New York Times that “renaming the … building adds insult to injury.”

Former institute staffers said they planned to protest what they called the theft of the building during the Thursday signing ceremony hosted by Trump, said the Times.

“The rightful owners will ultimately prevail,” Foote added.