Federal Appeals Court Hands Trump Another Win Against Org. That Funded the Taliban [WATCH]

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump may proceed with his efforts to restructure or dismantle the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), lifting a prior court order that had temporarily blocked his actions.

The decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit concluded that the president is likely to suffer “irreparable” harm if barred from exercising executive control over the federally funded agency.

🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: D.C. Circuit hands Trump another win, granting stay pending appeal in case re President’s firing of Institute for Peace. 1/ pic.twitter.com/3yZ7yJ4Efj

— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) June 27, 2025

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The three-judge panel determined that the USIP wields “substantial executive power,” and therefore its board members are subject to at-will removal by the president under established constitutional principles.

“As a general rule, the President may remove executive officers at will,” the court wrote, noting that special protections only apply to agencies with quasi-legislative or quasi-judicial authority — a standard the court said USIP does not meet.

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The U.S. Institute of Peace was established by Congress to promote conflict prevention and peacebuilding abroad.

Though designated as nonpartisan, the agency receives annual congressional funding and operates under a federally appointed board.

President Trump announced in March his intention to dissolve the agency and removed five board members following an inspection by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The DOGE team, tasked with identifying misuse of federal resources, had visited USIP’s Washington headquarters and conducted a full audit of the agency’s operations and finances.

According to findings released by DOGE, the agency reportedly maintained an internal armory and had awarded at least $130,000 in contracts to a former Taliban member for unspecified services.

The audit also revealed that USIP received approximately $55 million per year in federal funding, yet failed to return unspent funds.

Instead, leftover money was allegedly deposited into a private bank account outside the scope of congressional oversight. That account was reportedly used to fund private jet travel and various events at USIP’s headquarters.

Elon Musk, who has worked with DOGE in recent government transparency initiatives, appeared alongside DOGE members in an interview on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime.

During the segment, Musk and DOGE representatives described USIP as “the least peaceful” agency they encountered and claimed it was the most resistant to oversight efforts.

HOLY CRAP

The ‘Institute of Peace’ was funding the TALIBAN.

But wait.. there’s more.

When DOGE entered to dig through their fileS, their accountant DELETED 1 Terabyte of records.

People need to go to prison. pic.twitter.com/CW3UEZIXV4

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 2, 2025

The five removed board members challenged their termination in court, arguing that the president’s actions exceeded constitutional limits and required congressional involvement.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell initially ruled in their favor, characterizing the dismissals as a “brute force” tactic and temporarily reinstating the board’s authority.

Following that decision, USIP regained temporary control of its facilities and resumed internal audits.

The latest ruling by the D.C. Circuit reverses Judge Howell’s order and grants the Trump administration legal authority to move forward with further action against the agency.

The appeals court’s decision reinstates the president’s discretion over executive branch appointments and removals and effectively authorizes the administration to proceed with its plan to dismantle or reform the agency.