Summary

Elon Musk’s DOGE forcibly took over the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) after staff resisted Trump’s executive order to gut the independent agency.

Capitol police removed employees following a standoff, despite legal arguments that Trump cannot unilaterally fire board members.

The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office pressured USIP to comply, threatening a criminal investigation.

The White House insists the takeover was lawful, but critics call it an illegal power grab. The move mirrors a similar DOGE-led standoff at the U.S. African Development Foundation.