Seoul Gazette - Trump revels in peace institute renamed after himself

"It's a great honor," said Trump, gazing admiringly at the ceiling as he hosted the signing on Thursday of a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The billionaire Republican then effusively thanked the leaders of the two African countries for attending the ceremony at the "spectacular" institute in the US capital Washington.

"It means maybe more because we are here together for the first time ever in this building -- brand new beautiful building," Trump added.

In fact, the building formerly known as the United States Institute of Peace was built in 2011, five years before Trump won the US presidency for the first time.

But its current incarnation is new -- and the latest in a series of moves by the administration aimed at bolstering Trump's image as a global peacemaker.

The State Department announced on the eve of the peace deal signing ceremony that the institute had been renamed in honor of the Republican president to "reflect the greatest dealmaker in our nation's history".

It also shared a picture of the building with Trump's name added on a wall above the engraved name of the organization.

Trump has made no secret of his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize and claims to have resolved eight global conflicts since returning to office in January, including the war in the eastern DRC.

Nor is it just Trump's administration seeking to flatter the former reality TV star.

Trump is widely regarded as the frontrunner to win a new peace prize that football's governing body FIFA is set to award at the 2026 World Cup draw on Friday.

That will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington -- which Trump jokingly, or perhaps mischievously, referred to on Thursday as the "Trump-Kennedy Center", before adding: "whoops, excuse me."

- Next stop Mount Rushmore? -

The 79-year-old Trump has not been shy about stamping his own image on Washington during his second term.

The US Peace Institute itself was subject to a Trump takeover earlier this year.

Created in 1984 by former president Ronald Reagan as a non-profit organization to prevent conflicts, and funded by the taxpayer, Trump ordered its dismantlement in February.

In March, former ally Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) seized control of the center while the organization's president was removed from its headquarters by law enforcement.

And it is far from the last institution to get a makeover from Trump -- who before he became president was famed partly for the skyscrapers and casinos bearing his name that stood astride several US cities.

In the White House, the heart of the US presidency, Trump has covered the Oval Office with gold decor and turned the Rose Garden into a patio.

Most notoriously he has demolished the entire East Wing to build a giant $300-million ballroom that, US media reported, will eventually be known as the "Donald J. Trump" ballroom.

There could be more Trump-branded landmarks to come.

Proposals have been made for Trump's image to feature on a $1 coin and for his name to feature on a new stadium for the Washington Commanders NFL team and the capital's Dulles Airport.

A bill by Republican lawmakers has even suggested adding Trump's face to the rock-hewn pantheon of presidents in Mount Rushmore.

D.Choi--SG