Rachel Maddow

The thing that has always made this story sort of weirder and wilder than you might expect is that this U.S. Institute of Peace, it doesn't belong to the executive branch. It's an independent nonprofit. It was created by Congress over 40 years ago. It's largely funded by its own private endowment. The Institute owns its own building, its headquarters. They control the land the building sits on.

The thing that has always made this story sort of weirder and wilder than you might expect is that this U.S. Institute of Peace, it doesn't belong to the executive branch. It's an independent nonprofit. It was created by Congress over 40 years ago. It's largely funded by its own private endowment. The Institute owns its own building, its headquarters. They control the land the building sits on.

And yet, Trump and his top campaign donor, Elon Musk, used force to not only take the building, but to also take the Institute's money, its endowment, which, again, was not the government's to take. Once Elon Musk's people had forced their way into the building and forced out the employees, one Institute of Peace official told us, quote, they were very thorough in how they decimated us.

And yet, Trump and his top campaign donor, Elon Musk, used force to not only take the building, but to also take the Institute's money, its endowment, which, again, was not the government's to take. Once Elon Musk's people had forced their way into the building and forced out the employees, one Institute of Peace official told us, quote, they were very thorough in how they decimated us.

They wiped our IT system, canceled contracts, shredded documents, took down our website, including all of our 40 years of research and work we had done. They seized not only our building, but also all of our funding, including our endowment funds.

They wiped our IT system, canceled contracts, shredded documents, took down our website, including all of our 40 years of research and work we had done. They seized not only our building, but also all of our funding, including our endowment funds.

Well, now, perhaps predictably, a federal judge has ruled that all of that, from the armed takeover of the building to the firing of the employees to the seizing all the Institute's assets, all of that was quite flagrantly illegal.

Well, now, perhaps predictably, a federal judge has ruled that all of that, from the armed takeover of the building to the firing of the employees to the seizing all the Institute's assets, all of that was quite flagrantly illegal.

The judge called it a gross usurpation of power and a way of conducting government affairs that unnecessarily traumatized the committed leadership and employees of the U.S. Institute of Peace, who deserved better. everything back. And so, Musk and all his minions have been forced to give it all back. And when the reinstated actual leaders of the U.S.

The judge called it a gross usurpation of power and a way of conducting government affairs that unnecessarily traumatized the committed leadership and employees of the U.S. Institute of Peace, who deserved better. everything back. And so, Musk and all his minions have been forced to give it all back. And when the reinstated actual leaders of the U.S.

Institute of Peace returned to their building for the first time in over two months, just a few days ago, what they found was water damage and rats and roaches, things they had never had before.

Institute of Peace returned to their building for the first time in over two months, just a few days ago, what they found was water damage and rats and roaches, things they had never had before.

The acting director of the Institute of Peace told Judge Howell in a sworn statement that the Trump administration essentially abandoned the building as soon as they stole it, and that, quote, failure to maintain and secure the building resulted, among other things, in the rats and roaches. And apparently, whole juicy buds.

The acting director of the Institute of Peace told Judge Howell in a sworn statement that the Trump administration essentially abandoned the building as soon as they stole it, and that, quote, failure to maintain and secure the building resulted, among other things, in the rats and roaches. And apparently, whole juicy buds.

The Economist reports tonight that cleaners also found a whole bunch of marijuana that was apparently left behind by Doge staffers after they left the place. So, maximum destruction, leaving everything soiled and in disrepair and littered with drugs. And now, because all of that was totally illegal, the folks at the U.S.

The Economist reports tonight that cleaners also found a whole bunch of marijuana that was apparently left behind by Doge staffers after they left the place. So, maximum destruction, leaving everything soiled and in disrepair and littered with drugs. And now, because all of that was totally illegal, the folks at the U.S.

Institute of Peace will have to, like, repair everything and stand everything back up in order to even start to get back to where they were before this whole thing started. It's just pure... pure pointlessness and waste.

Institute of Peace will have to, like, repair everything and stand everything back up in order to even start to get back to where they were before this whole thing started. It's just pure... pure pointlessness and waste.

And may I suggest that, yes, the black guy was cute, but may I suggest that this is perhaps more on the nose as the legacy of what the Trump administration has done through Trump's top campaign donor, Elon Musk, as Elon Musk leaves Washington.

And may I suggest that, yes, the black guy was cute, but may I suggest that this is perhaps more on the nose as the legacy of what the Trump administration has done through Trump's top campaign donor, Elon Musk, as Elon Musk leaves Washington.