Summary
- Defense Secretary would become Secretary of War
- Trump questions whether he needs Congress to approve change
- Hegseth: “We’re going to go on the offense”
WASHINGTON, Sept 5 (Reuters) — U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday to rename the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” a move that revives the original title used until after World War II. The change reflects a shift away from the post-war emphasis on deterrence and peacekeeping toward a renewed focus on military strength and offense.
Trump’s decision is part of a broader effort to rebrand the U.S. military. This has included his push to hold a large military parade in downtown Washington, D.C., and his reversal of the renaming of military bases that were changed following racial justice protests in 2020. He has also challenged traditional norms regarding domestic use of the armed forces by creating military zones along the U.S.-Mexico border to enforce immigration crackdowns, as well as deploying troops in cities such as Los Angeles and Washington.
The Pentagon acted quickly to implement the change, updating signs at the five-sided headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office door now reads “Secretary of War,” with his deputy Steve Feinberg’s title changed to “Deputy Secretary of War.” At the Oval Office ceremony where he signed the executive order, Trump described the change as “a very important change, because it’s an attitude. It’s really about winning.”
The executive order tasks Hegseth with recommending the legislative and executive steps needed to make the renaming permanent. Changing a department’s name is rare and generally requires congressional approval, but Trump questioned the necessity of such consent despite his party holding slim majorities in both chambers. On the same day, two Republican senators, Mike Lee of Utah and Rick Scott of Florida, along with Republican Representative Greg Steube of Florida, introduced legislation to endorse the name change.
Hegseth, introduced by Trump as the Secretary of War, welcomed the decision, which he has supported for some time. He stated, “We’re going to go on the offense, not just on defense. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality.” Historically, the U.S. Department of Defense was known as the War Department until 1949 when Congress unified the Army, Navy, and Air Force after World War II. The renaming was partly intended to signal a focus on preventing conflict in the nuclear era.
This latest renaming will come with practical costs, as signs, letterheads, and official documentation at the Pentagon and military installations worldwide will need to be updated. A similar renaming effort by former President Joe Biden to change the names of nine military bases honoring Confederate leaders was projected to cost the Army $39 million. Hegseth reversed those changes earlier this year.
Critics have argued the name change is expensive and distracts from more pressing defense priorities. However, Hegseth insists the change is about much more than words — it embodies a renewed warrior ethos. The effort to streamline the renaming process aligns with legislation introduced by one of Trump’s closest congressional allies, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, which would make it easier for presidents to reorganize and rename agencies.
Trump himself has emphasized that the renaming signals a more aggressive military stance, stating, “Defense is too defensive. We want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too if we have to be.” He has suggested that the original post-war renaming was motivated by political correctness rather than military necessity.
The concept of reverting to the Department of War has roots extending back to Trump’s first term, when FBI Director Kash Patel, who briefly served at the Pentagon, used the email signature “Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Defense & the War Department,” reflecting a view of the change as honoring the military’s history and heritage.
This renaming is part of a broader pattern of symbolic gestures by the Trump administration to project military strength and restore traditional military values. It comes amid contentious debates about the appropriate role of the military in domestic affairs, especially following deployments to U.S. cities and along the southern border.
While supporters see the renaming as a reflection of a tougher, more proactive defense posture, critics worry about the financial costs and the international signal it sends, potentially heightening tensions with allies and adversaries alike.
The Pentagon’s transformation under this new directive marks a significant moment in American military history, reflecting both political and strategic shifts that could influence U.S. defense policy and military culture for years to come.
