In a bold nod to U.S. history, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War. The move revives a name last used in the late 1940s.
The order authorizes the Department of Defense, the secretary of defense and subordinate officials to use titles like "Department of War," "Secretary of War" and "Deputy Secretary of War" in official correspondence and public communications, according to a White House fact sheet. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has been asked to recommend actions—including legislative and executive measures—to make the renaming permanent, though full legal approval still requires Congress.
"Defense is too defensive," Trump said in the Oval Office last month. "We want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too if we have to be." Hegseth argued that the change is "not just about words – it's about the warrior ethos." Critics, however, warn it could incur high costs and distract from core security priorities.
U.S. Senator Andy Kim called the renaming a "childish idea," adding, "Americans want to prevent wars, not tout them." The Department of War, created in 1789, directed the Army through major conflicts until it was consolidated into the Department of Defense in the late 1940s.
As this historic rebrand takes shape, global observers are watching closely to see how it might shift the U.S. military’s identity, budget and strategic messaging on the world stage.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
