Key Takeaways
- The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is attempting to take control of the United States Peace Institute (USIP) headquarters.
- Former USIP staffers are challenging the move.
- Donald Trump has suggested that Elon Musk may soon return to running his business empire full-time.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was always intended to be a temporary initiative. And now, just three months into his presidency, Donald Trump has hinted that Musk’s days in government are numbered.
Although the DOGE CEO’s tenure may be nearing its end, the federal cost-cutting unit remains active in Washington, continuing to restructure—and, in the latest case, take direct control of—institutions it views as obstacles.
DOGE Eyes USIP Headquarters After High-Profile Clash
The beef between DOGE and the United States Peace Institute (USIP) has been brewing since the beginning of March, when Musk’s team was denied entry to USIP’s headquarters in Washington, DC.
Alongside the physical showdown, some employees launched a legal challenge seeking to halt DOGE’s efforts to shut the agency down.
Although that litigation is ongoing, in practice, USIP has already gone the way of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Transfer of USIP Building Contested
In line with the DOGE philosophy, Musk’s representatives have moved quickly to seize control of the congressionally funded think tank’s assets, including its DC headquarters.
On Monday, March 31, the plaintiffs requested a court injunction halting the building’s transfer to the General Services Administration without reimbursing USIP.
USIP’s acting president Nate Cavanaugh has estimated the building to be worth around $500 million.
The legal dispute centers on the question of USIP’s status within the government. Although the institute was established by Congress, it is structured as an independent non-profit.
To justify shuttering the organization, DOGE invoked President Trump’s Executive Order on Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. However, USIP’s lawyers have objected to the institute’s characterization as a “governmental entity.”
The End of the Road for DOGE?
After the fireworks of its debut, DOGE’s clash with USIP reflects the broader arc of Musk’s efforts to downsize the federal government.
First came force and theatrics. But these have inevitably been met with more than a dozen lawsuits from disgruntled government employees and other critics.
With such litigation likely to drag on for weeks and months, DOGE may not be around for that much longer in its current form.
Commenting on the matter on Monday, March 31, Trump hinted that Musk may soon return to running his business empire full-time.
“I think he’s amazing, but I also think he’s got a big company to run and so at some point he’s going to be going back,” Trump said.
Although the president insisted, “I’d keep him as long as I could keep him,” dumping Musk now could be politically advantageous.
Thanks to his unelected role at the helm of DOGE and multiple public controversies, Musk has started to lose his appeal even among conservatives.
Musk To Remain as Adviser
As a temporary government employee, there is technically a 130-day cap on Musk’s services at the White House, which would put his departure date at the end of May.
However, in February, White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields said Musk’s mission “will continue until completed.”
Moreover, responding to speculation that Musk is on the way out, Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Thursday, April 3, that the Tesla chief will remain a “friend and adviser” to the president even after he leaves government.
“He’s going to continue to be an adviser, Vance stated,” adding that “the work of DOGE is not even close to done. The work of Elon is not even close to done.”
James Morales is CCN’s blockchain and crypto policy reporter. He has been working in the news media since 2020, writing about topics such as payments, banking and financial technology. These days, he likes to explore the latest blockchain innovations and the evolving landscape of global crypto regulation.
With an educational background in social anthropology and media studies, James uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.
