Top State Dept. official who once attended conference with White nationalists picked to lead US Institute of Peace

Source: CNN Politics

Updated Jul 26, 2025, 12:05 PM ET
PUBLISHED Jul 26, 2025, 9:14 AM ET


Darren Beattie — a top State Department official who was fired as a speechwriter during President Donald Trump’s first term after CNN revealed that he spoke at a conference attended by White nationalists — will now serve as the acting president of the US Institute of Peace, according to a senior State Department official. Beattie was appointed by the USIP board of directors, the official said. CNN has reached out to USIP for comment.

Beattie currently serves as the acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, a role where he is “passionate about affirmatively advancing free speech as a diplomacy tool, and marshalling America’s exceptional cultural achievements in the arts, music, and academia in furtherance of the safety, strength, and prosperity of the American people,” according to the State Department website.

The official said that Beattie will continue to serve at the State Department. The elevation comes as the Trump administration continues its efforts to dismantle the agency amid a broader effort to reshape the federal government.

USIP is not a federal agency within the executive branch. It was created by Congress as a nonpartisan, independent body in 1984 that owns and manages its headquarters. The institute, which was founded during the Reagan administration, “promotes research, policy analysis, education, and training on international peace and conflict resolution in an effort to prevent and resolve violent conflicts, and to promote post-conflict stability,” according to a description on usa.gov.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/26/politics/darren-beattie-us-institute-of-peace