Summary
- Darren Beattie, a senior State Department official with controversial right-wing views, was appointed to lead USIP.
- USIP is a congressionally-backed peacebuilding organization.
- Beattie has made inflammatory remarks about women and minorities.
- His appointment has raised concerns due to his ideology.
The State Department announced on Saturday that Beattie, the senior bureau official in the office of the undersecretary for public diplomacy, will continue to lead USIP while holding his position within the department.
"The USIP Board of Directors has appointed Darren Beattie as Acting President of the United States Institute of Peace and we look forward to seeing him advance President Trump's America First agenda in this new role,"
a senior State Department official said in emailed comments.
In 2018, after CNN reported that Beattie had spoken at a conference attended by prominent white racists, the Washington Post claimed that he had been fired as a speech writer for Trump.
His inflammatory remarks about women and minorities, as well as his criticism of U.S. foreign policy toward Taiwan, had gained attention following his appointment to the State Department in February.
"This is a profound opportunity to articulate and advance American interests—as well as to help realign this institute to its fullest potential,"
Beattie said in separate comments emailed by the State Department.
USIP was established by the US Congress in 1984 with the goal of defending American interests by mediating peace agreements and averting bloody confrontations elsewhere. The U.S. State Department is across the street from its headquarters.
President Donald Trump's administration has attempted to dictate the Institute's course, dismissing the majority of its board in March and sending Department of Government Efficiency employees on a public standoff that attracted local law enforcement.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio are currently on the Institute's board of directors. Outside of regular business hours, USIP representatives were not immediately available for comment.
The action takes place in the midst of a continuing power struggle over the Trump administration's attempts to steer the nonprofit, independent organization in the direction of his "America First" agenda.
A federal judge declared in May that the Trump administration had unlawfully removed the U.S. Institute of Peace leaders, describing the action as a "gross usurpation of power."
On Saturday, the State Department official reiterated the administration's criticism of the institute's work, saying:
"It is meant to provide research, analysis, and training to individuals in diplomacy, mediation, and other peace-building measures, but has slipped in its mission over recent decades."
The tone of America's public communications abroad is set by the State Department's acting undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs position.
How might Beattie's political views influence USIP's research and initiatives?
Beattie has been appointed to advance President Trump’s "America First" agenda within USIP. This implies a potential refocusing of the institute’s work to prioritize U.S. national interests and a more assertive, nationalist stance in peacebuilding efforts rather than globally balanced or multilateral approaches.
Given Beattie’s criticisms of U.S. foreign policy and emphasis on advancing free speech as a diplomacy tool aligned with cultural nationalism, USIP's research might pivot away from some existing conflict resolution frameworks toward more ideologically driven narratives that emphasize Western exceptionalism and cultural dominance.