President Donald Trump has announced plans to rebrand the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” a move the White House says is aimed at projecting a stronger image of American military power.
According to a White House document released Thursday, the order authorizes use of the new label as a “secondary title” for official correspondence, public communications, ceremonial events, and other non-statutory documents. Defense officials may also be addressed with titles such as “Secretary of War.”
The formal legal name of the Pentagon remains the Department of Defense, but Trump said the new label conveys “readiness and resolve.” He is expected to sign the executive order Friday afternoon during an Oval Office event.
Trump, who has frequently criticized the Defense Department’s current title as being “too defensive,” argued the change revives a legacy tied to past American victories.
“The Department of War was the name when we won World War I, we won World War II, we won everything,” he said last month.
The White House statement said:
“Restoring the name ‘Department of War’ will sharpen the focus of this Department on our national interest and signal to adversaries America’s readiness to wage war to secure its interests.”
The original Department of War was created after U.S. independence to oversee land forces. Following World War II, it was merged with the Navy and newly created Air Force under the National Military Establishment, which was renamed the Department of Defense in 1949.
Since taking office, Trump has reshaped the Pentagon, appointing former Fox News host and combat veteran Pete Hegseth as secretary. Hegseth has promoted what he calls a return to “warrior ethos,” including moves to ban transgender service members and restore Confederate base names reversed under President Joe Biden.
While the executive order allows immediate use of the “Department of War” label, it also directs the secretary to propose legislative and executive actions to make the change permanent. Future administrations, however, could still reverse the decision.
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Trump renames the Pentagon “Department of War,” saying the change revives U.S. military legacy and signals strength to adversaries.