Trump orders name change for Department of Defense
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War.
The move is part of Trump’s broader plan to project strength on the world stage and to purge the military of what he has called “woke ideology.”
The department was originally called the Department of War from its establishment in 1789 until 1947, when President Harry Truman renamed it as part of a post-World War II reorganization.
The new name better “ensures peace through strength, as it demonstrates our ability and willingness to fight and win wars on behalf of our Nation at a moment’s notice, not just to defend,” Trump’s order stated.
“I think it sends a message of victory,” the president said in the Oval Office.
According to the AP, the US Congress must approve the change. In the meantime, Trump has authorized Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to be referred to as the Secretary of War as his “additional secondary title.” The Pentagon’s website is now war.gov, and office signs for Hegseth have been updated.
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) September 5, 2025
Pentagon spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson hailed Trump’s “historic move” to restore the department’s original name. “Defense alone is not enough; we must be ready to strike and dominate,” she said.
