Trump Expected to Rebrand Defense Department as Department of War

President Donald Trump intends to sign an executive order restoring the historic name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, designating it as a secondary title while instructing its use in official communications. The order will also allow Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to assume the title "Secretary of War" and task him with proposing further legislative actions to make the change permanent. Trump and Hegseth argue that the name Department of War reflects a stronger, more aggressive military stance, evoking the victorious legacy of World War I and II. This move is part of a broader campaign to reinforce a "warrior ethos" within the military, emphasizing offense rather than defense. The Department of War was the original name for the agency overseeing the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps from 1789 until its reorganization in 1947, after which it became the Department of Defense to emphasize national security over combat. White House officials acknowledge that while the executive order initiates the change symbolically, congressional approval would be needed for a permanent renaming.