US President Donald Trump signed an executive order last night to rename the Department of Defence the “Department of War,” reverting to a title it held until after World War Two when officials sought to emphasise the Pentagon’s role in preventing conflict.
Trump’s move represented his latest effort to rebrand the US military, which has included his decision to preside over an extraordinary military parade in downtown Washington, DC, and to restore the original names of military bases that were changed after racial justice protests in 2020.
Trump has also challenged conventional norms over domestic deployment of the US armed forces, creating military zones along the southern US border with Mexico to aid an immigration crackdown as well as deploying troops in cities like Los Angeles and Washington.
The order would authorise Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and subordinate officials to use secondary titles such as ‘Secretary of War’ and ‘Deputy Secretary of War’ in official correspondence and public communications, according to a White House fact sheet.
“It’s a very important change, because it’s an attitude,” Trump said as he signed the executive order at a ceremony in the Oval Office. “It’s really about winning.”
The move would instruct Hegseth to recommend legislative and executive actions required to make the renaming permanent.
Department name changes are rare and have required congressional approval. Still, Trump questioned whether he really needed a nod from Congress, even though his fellow Republicans hold slim majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
Two Republican senators, Mike Lee of Utah and Rick Scott of Florida, and one Republican House member, Greg Steube of Florida, introduced legislation yesterday to make the change.
Hegseth, introduced as the Secretary of War by Trump, cheered the change, which he has long advocated.
“We’re going to go on the offence, not just on defence. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality,” Hegseth said.
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