Trump Signs Executive Order to Rename Pentagon as 'Department of War'
The symbolic move echoes early U.S. history, but an official renaming still requires congressional approval.
Why America needs the Department of War
The Spectator World
Trump marks 200th executive order with Pentagon rebrand
Washington Examiner
Trump will seek ‘Department of War’ rebrand for Pentagon
Military Times
Trump To Give Pentagon New Name: Reports
Daily Caller
Subscribe to unlock this story
We really don't like cutting you off, but you've reached your monthly limit. At just $5/month, subscriptions are how we keep this project going. Start your free 7-day trial today!
Get StartedHave an account? Sign in
Overview
- President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Defense be referred to as the 'Department of War,' reviving its original historical name from 1789.
- The order allows the use of 'Department of War' in official correspondence, ceremonies, and non-statutory documents; Congress must act for a formal statutory name change.
- Trump argued the new title reflects military strength and rejects what he called a 'woke' shift, saying 'Department of Defense' sounded weaker than 'Department of War.'
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth supported the change, calling it an effort to 'restore the warrior ethos' in the U.S. military, aligning with Trump's stated priorities.
- The Department of War existed until 1947, when President Truman created the Department of Defense to reflect broader responsibilities of joint operations, policy, and national security.
Report issue
Read both sides in 5 minutes each day
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by consistently emphasizing the post-WWII shift to "Department of Defense" as a deliberate move towards peace and international cooperation. They use evaluative language and highlight the administration's "warrior ethos" rhetoric, implicitly contrasting the proposed name change as a regression from these historical ideals and suggesting a superficial or contradictory motivation.
"Trump’s push to rename the Department of Defense goes beyond subjective word choices about whether to change a name that's been in place since 1949."
ABC News"Trump’s push to rename the Department of Defense goes beyond subjective word choices about whether to change a name that’s been in place since 1949."
Associated Press"Trump has said he wants to change the name back to the Department of War because it “just sounded better,” and Hegseth recently hinted that the switch was around the corner."
Military Times"The move empowers Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use titles such as "Department of War," "Secretary of War" and "Deputy Secretary of War" in official government correspondence and communications without formally changing the department's name, which would require action from Congress."
USA TODAY"The move, confirmed by the White House after Donald Trump suggested the name change to reporters last week, would resurrect a name abandoned during a 1947 Cabinet reorganization."
USA TODAY"President Trump has signed executive orders to rename several government-recognized entities since returning to office."
USA TODAY"President Donald Trump is set to issue an executive order on Friday renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War — a long-telegraphed move aimed at projecting America’s military around the globe."
Associated Press"Trump's decision to revive the name 'Department of War' reflects his belief that it conveys a stronger message about the U.S. military's role."
USA TODAY"Trump is set to sign an executive order on Friday to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, a White House official told Business Insider."
Business Insider"The change would return the department to a name that it carried for much of its history, until it became the Department of Defense in the wake of World War II."
NPR"President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Friday renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War, a White House official and sources familiar with a draft of the executive order told ABC News."
ABC News"The order also instructs Hegseth to recommend and include legislative and executive actions to move toward a permanent renaming of the department since Trump cannot formally change the name without congressional approval."
BBC News"The move is just the latest in a long line of cultural changes Hegseth has made to the Pentagon since taking office at the beginning of the year."
Military Times"Trump's order will instruct Hegseth to recommend legislative and executive actions to permanently revert the name to Department of War."
NBC News"The White House's fact sheet argues the term Department of War "conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve" than the agency's existing name."
CBS News"The move is just the latest in a long line of cultural changes Hegseth has made to the Pentagon since taking office at the beginning of the year."
Associated Press"The move to go back to the Department of War comes, ironically, as Trump has tried to cast himself as a peacemaker in several international conflicts, while also flexing the might of the U.S. military."
USA TODAYArticles (40)
Center (17)
FAQ
The renaming is intended to convey a stronger sense of readiness and a 'warrior ethos,' signaling America's willingness to wage war to secure its national interests, reflecting a shift towards a more offensive military posture.
No, the executive order authorizes the use of the 'Department of War' as a secondary name within the executive branch, but an official name change requires congressional approval.
The original Department of War, established in 1789, primarily managed the Army and did not oversee all military branches or have a unified cabinet-level defense role like today's Department of Defense, which includes multiple branches such as the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth supports the rebranding, advocating for it as a way to remove 'woke culture' and promote a 'Department of War' identity; additionally, Republican senators like Mike Lee and Rick Scott have introduced legislation to officially restore the name.
The Pentagon has intensified operations against drug trafficking in the Caribbean, including destroying boats linked to drug cartels supported by the Venezuelan government, emphasizing a stance equating drug cartels to terrorist threats and asserting military readiness against such challenges.
History
- 11d
9 articles - 11d
6 articles - 11d
4 articles - 12d
4 articles
- 12d13 articles