Trump To Rename Department Of Defense To "Department Of War"

September 5, 2025

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rebrand the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” reviving its pre-1947 name. The change, which will begin as a secondary title while the administration seeks congressional approval to make it the permanent name, aims to “project strength and resolve,” according to the order. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, now formally able to call himself “Secretary of War,” has echoed Trump’s vision for a more aggressive “warrior ethos” within the department, stating, “We want warriors, folks that understand how to exact lethality on the enemy.”

Trump defended the move by pointing to America’s military past, saying, “Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War.” He argued the current name was “too defensive,” adding, “we want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too, if we have to be.” Though the executive order sets the rebrand in motion, permanently renaming the department will require congressional approval — a step some lawmakers have already opposed. Senator Andy Kim called it a “childish idea,” while Senator Tammy Duckworth questioned why the money isn’t going to “supporting military families.”

Critics say the plan could cost upwards of a billion dollars to overhaul signs, uniforms, and email systems across global military operations. The move also comes shortly after China’s major military parade, which some see as a signal of rising global tension. Despite backlash, Trump appears unfazed, saying, “All I can do is put out wars. I don't seek attention. I just want to save lives.”