Musk’s Task Force Closes Foreign Policy Research Center

Widespread Changes at the Wilson Center Following Leadership Resignation

In a significant shake-up at the Wilson Center, a prominent foreign policy think tank, President Mark Green has resigned just one day after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team began actions to dismantle the organization at its Washington headquarters. This move comes in response to an executive order signed by President Trump last month, which mandates a substantial restructuring of the center, a long-established nonpartisan policy institution.

Sources familiar with the situation report that following visits from Musk’s team on Monday and Tuesday, several high-ranking officials and senior staff at the Wilson Center were dismissed, including Green himself. These individuals requested anonymity for fear of repercussions from political appointees associated with the Trump administration. The changes also extend to the center’s workforce, with about one-third of its federal employees expected to be placed on administrative leave.

The apparent disbanding of the Wilson Center marks a continuation of the Trump administration’s efforts to exert greater control over federally funded organizations that have historically operated independently. Musk’s government task force has been instrumental in driving initiatives aimed at diminishing these institutions, as well as various federal agencies.

Details surrounding Green’s resignation suggest he faced an ultimatum: resign voluntarily or be fired. A seasoned political figure, Green has held various roles, including serving as a congressman from Wisconsin, ambassador to Tanzania, and head of the now-abolished U.S. Agency for International Development during Trump’s first term. Attempts to reach him for comment on his departure were unsuccessful.

Ryan McKenna, a spokesperson for the Wilson Center, indicated that the organization would not be making any public statements regarding Green’s resignation or the DIS team’s interventions. Meanwhile, the White House also refrained from offering comments.

In light of the executive order issued in March, which suggested the goal of reducing the Wilson Center “to the minimum presence and function required by law,” Green communicated to members and allies via email that the institution’s leadership was reviewing the directive and devising strategies for compliance. However, it remains unclear if the center has plans to challenge the executive order.

Recent developments have also seen the dismissal of several trustees from the center’s board. As of Tuesday evening, the board was listed as vacant on the Wilson Center website. Among those dismissed was Brian Hook, a former special envoy for Iran during Trump’s first term and a Trump-appointed trustee. Bill Haslam, a Republican and former governor of Tennessee, was also reported to have been removed from the board.

In his resignation statement, Joe Asher, a former chairman appointed by Joe Biden in 2023, revealed that he and other Biden appointees had also been terminated by Trump. "We had been asked to resign earlier in the week," he stated, expressing frustration over the situation. Despite serving without compensation, he commended the organization and its leadership under Green.

The Wilson Center, established in 1968 as a tribute to Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States and a Nobel Prize laureate for his efforts in founding the League of Nations, prides itself on its nonpartisan scholarship. Though Wilson was a Democrat, the center has historically aligned itself with neither major political party, being managed by a bipartisan board. It receives federal funding for its operations while also acquiring private donations to support various scholarly fellowships and scholarships, which benefit both researchers and journalists.

As the long-term implications of these administrative changes remain uncertain, the status of fellowships and scholarships continues for now, although future donor support could hinge on the composition of the new board and the strategic direction of the center.

The Wilson Center is currently located within the Ronald Reagan Building, a structure that previously housed the headquarters of U.S.A.I.D. until it was dismantled by Musk, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other Trump aides.

Congress originally established the Wilson Center to honor an American president, similar to how the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has operated. Earlier this year, Trump took control of the Kennedy Center, cutting its board and assuming the role of its chair, where he has expressed intentions to revamp the cultural institution.

Former president Jane Harman, who led the Wilson Center from 2009 until 2021, regretted the dismissal of Green and the administration’s decision to target the center, emphasizing its global reputation for nonpartisan scholarship in international affairs. "It has just extraordinary scholarship and extraordinary influence around the world," she remarked, reflecting on the center’s mission and significance.

The future of the Wilson Center remains in flux as it navigates these unprecedented changes under the Trump administration’s directive.