The Trump administration carried out a sweeping move on Friday, firing nearly the entire staff at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to multiple reports.

The mass firings, described by some employees as a “Friday night massacre” in comments to The Washington Post, affected between 200 and 300 individuals at the nonprofit organization.

The employees were informed of their termination via email, with many of them being offered severance packages and one month of health insurance, provided they waived their right to sue the organization.

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The email notification stated: “This letter is to inform you of a change in your employment status with United States Institute of Peace. Effective March 28, 2025, your employment with us will conclude,” according to The Washington Post.

The firings follow a series of developments involving USIP, including a legal battle over the administration’s attempts to take control of the organization.

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A judge had recently denied a request from former USIP board members for a restraining order against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which had sought to oversee the institute’s operations.

These board members had been dismissed by President Donald Trump.

The move to restructure USIP is not entirely new. On February 19, President Trump issued an executive order aimed at overhauling the institute, which included changes to the organization’s website.

The executive order was part of the administration’s broader effort to eliminate inefficiencies within government agencies and nonprofit organizations that receive taxpayer funding.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly addressed the firings in a statement to CBS News on Saturday, emphasizing the administration’s goal of cutting wasteful government spending.

“Taxpayers don’t want to spend $50 million per year on a publicly funded ‘research institute’ that has failed to deliver peace,” Kelly said.

“President Trump ended the era of forever wars and established peace in his first term, and he is carrying out his mandate to eliminate bloat and save taxpayer dollars.”

The USIP, which was created by Congress in 1984, has faced scrutiny over its effectiveness and the use of taxpayer dollars.

The institute’s stated mission is to promote conflict resolution and peacebuilding worldwide.

However, critics have long questioned its impact, especially given the substantial funding it receives from the federal government.

The mass firings and subsequent restructuring of USIP come as part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to reduce government waste and ensure that taxpayer money is used more effectively.

The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, has been a central figure in the administration’s push to identify and address inefficiencies within federal agencies and government-funded organizations.

The firings at USIP have sparked mixed reactions, with some employees expressing shock and frustration at the abrupt nature of the termination process.

However, the administration’s supporters argue that such actions are necessary to eliminate unnecessary government spending and ensure that taxpayer dollars are used more effectively.

The changes at USIP mark another chapter in the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to reform federal institutions and streamline government operations.

With the firings of nearly 300 employees, the U.S. Institute of Peace is undergoing a significant overhaul, and it remains to be seen how the administration will proceed with its plans for the organization in the future.

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