US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War.
The new title brings back a name last used in the 1940s. For now, it will serve as a “secondary title” until Congress decides whether to make it permanent.
The Department of Defense, which oversees the U.S. military, originally began in 1789 as the War Department. It was renamed after World War II in 1947.
In the order, Trump argued that “Department of War” sends a stronger message of power and readiness compared to “Department of Defense”. Speaking in the Oval Office, he said the name is “more appropriate for today’s world” and “sends a message of victory.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who would be called Secretary of War under the change, said the move is about “restoring history” and that “words matter.”
The president cannot permanently rename the department without Congress. While Trump has said he is confident lawmakers will support the idea, not everyone agrees. Senator Andy Kim, a Democrat from New Jersey, dismissed the plan as “childish,” saying Americans want to prevent wars, not celebrate them.
The War Department was first created under George Washington and lasted until after World War II.
This executive order marks Trump’s 200th order since taking office. The timing also follows China’s recent display of new weapons and military technology, seen by many as a warning to the U.S. and its allies.
