Trump Does It: Department Of Defense Will Become Department Of War

WASHINGTON, D.C.-US President Donald Trump will sign an executive order to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, according to US media reports citing White House officials. The move is intended to restore “historical clarity” and reinforce a combat-first identity for the armed forces.

The executive action seeks to signal a shift toward offensive capabilities and a “warrior mindset” for America’s military.

Previewing the move, Trump told reporters, “We call it the Department of Defense, but between us, I think we’re gonna change the name. We won World War I, World War II — it was called the Department of War, and to me, that’s really what it is.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth supported the initiative, stating, “We won WWI and we won WWII, not with the Department of Defense, but with a War Department… We’re not just defense, we’re offence. We’re re-establishing the warrior ethos.” On September 4, Hegseth also reposted a Fox News X post on the report, with the comment: “DEPARTMENT OF WAR.”

The order will instruct Hegseth to propose legislative steps for a permanent name change, though the immediate rollout will include updates to websites and signage at the Pentagon.

The Department of War was established in 1789 and was renamed the Department of Defense in 1949 as part of a post–World War II focus on national security and deterrence. The rebranding aligns with Trump’s second-term military reforms, though a full legal name change would require Congressional approval.

The effort to rename the Pentagon follows a number of similar steps by Hegseth to change the names of bases and ships. He reversed a Joe Biden-era decision that had removed Confederate-era names of bases like Fort Bragg and Fort Hood, reverting to those titles but officially naming them after different individuals with the same names. In June, Hegseth also ordered the renaming of an oiler ship named after gay rights activist and Navy veteran Harvey Milk. (IANS)