The United States Institute of Peace building Monday in Washington.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
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Jose Luis Magana/AP
The leadership at the U.S. Institute of Peace had been aware for several weeks that both the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency were focusing on them.
However, this awareness did not prevent Washington, D.C.’s local police force from escorting them away from the building on Monday afternoon, allowing a new administration to assume control.
George Moose, who served as the head of the institute until this week, informed reporters on the building’s steps that there had been discussions with them for several weeks in anticipation of this event and to remind them of their status as a private nonprofit organization in the District of Columbia, rather than a federal agency. Consequently, the federal government was not entitled to take over their building.
Despite this, the building — situated with its arched facade across from the State Department — became the focus of a tense standoff this week between the institute’s employees and staff members from the Trump administration and DOGE.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell rejected a request from the institute to halt the takeover, indicating the difficulty in determining the legality of the Trump administration’s actions. The judge emphasized the unresolved issue of whether the institute, which aims to prevent violent conflicts abroad, is an independent agency or part of the executive branch.
DOGE’s dramatic entrance is not uncommon in recent times. The entity, which is not a government agency itself, is actively undermining various U.S. departments, including the Department of Education, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
What stands out in this situation is the involvement of the police, an occurrence that Judge Howell described as “deeply troubling.”
A routine and unusual call
Both sides contacted the Metropolitan Police Department for assistance, placing law enforcement in the middle of the dispute and prompting questions regarding how officers concluded to side with the Trump administration.
At approximately 4 p.m. on Monday, DOGE and Trump staffers were attempting to enter the building. According to a statement from the police department, interim U.S. Attorney for D.C., Ed Martin, intervened at this point.
As the district lacks statehood, Martin serves as the district’s main prosecutor. Appointed by the president, he is considered a Trump loyalist by many. He did not respond to NPR’s request for an interview.
The MPD statement indicated that Martin presented police with a letter asserting that Moose had been replaced, prompting the police to request Moose to vacate the premises.
The statement elaborated on Martin’s guidance that day, stating that the USAO provided the contact information for the acting USIP President, enabling MPD members to verify his credentials. The acting president then supplied police with documentation affirming his authority.
Vanessa Batters-Thompson, executive director of the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, remarked that while elements of this situation seemed routine, others appeared highly unusual. Police officers frequently address situations where the rightful party is unclear, such as disputes between landlords and tenants.
Batters-Thompson stated that the Metropolitan Police handled the situation as trained, notifying the present individuals of their changed status to trespassers and securing a peaceful exit.
A question of weaponizing law enforcement
DOGE has cited the letter as justification for seizing the institute and enlisting police involvement, asserting that Moose acted unlawfully by resisting. Representatives for DOGE did not respond to NPR’s request for comments.
The White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated on social media that Moose was not the Acting President due to his removal from the position, describing him as an unaccountable career bureaucrat.
The central question, according to Batters-Thompson, is the legitimacy of the letter concerning Moose’s dismissal. The institute contends that it is a non-binding document, maintaining that the organization is a Congress-established independent nonprofit, with the administration failing to adhere to proper procedures for removing its leadership.
Democratic Congressman Don Beyer denounced DOGE’s actions as an illegal power seizure and accused it of weaponizing law enforcement.
D.C. Councilmember Zachary Parker expressed on social media that his office received numerous complaints from residents about MPD’s involvement, echoing their concerns.
Georgetown University law professor Rosa Brooks, who previously served as an MPD reserve officer, noted the complex question of who police should respond to, which now looms prominently over D.C. police officers due to its close ties with the federal government. Brooks emphasized that police officers are now more than ever required to scrutinize directives’ lawfulness, reflecting current challenges in differentiating lawful orders from politically driven instructions.
