US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff entered the offices of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) Monday with the help of DC police after the former acting president, George Moose, refused to vacate the premises, according to US media.
National Defense University president Peter Garvin, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a resolution removing of Moose as President and the appointment of Kenneth Jackson as acting USIP president as of March 14. DOGE claims that police arrived after Moose denied access to Jackson:
Mr. Moose denied lawful access to Kenneth Jackson, the Acting USIP President (as approved by the USIP Board). The D.C. Police Department arrived onsite and escorted Mr. Jackson into the building. The only unlawful individual was Mr. Moose, who refused to comply, and even tried to fire USIP’s private security team when said security team went to give access to Mr. Jackson.
DC’s Metropolitan Police Department confirmed this with a statement saying the US Attorney’s Office advised the police that there was at least one person who was refusing to leave the property at the direction of current acting USIP President Kenneth Jackson. The police spoke with the Jackson directly, obtaining documentation to confirm his identity. he police then went to the USIP building, where an unnamed individual let them in. They escorted Jackson inside, and all unauthorized individuals were asked to leave the premises. The individuals ultimately complied, and no arrests were made.
Despite Moose’s removal, the USIP still has him listed as acting president on their leadership page. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly addressed the matter on X, stating:
George is not the Acting President. He was removed from his position on March 14, and Kenneth Jackson was appointed Acting President. George is actually a career bureaucrat who wants to be unaccountable to the American people. The Trump Administration won’t let him.
Moose and others who were recently fired are challenging the Resolution made Friday, claiming the USIP has “private and independent status since it is a non-executive branch agency.”