In a move that harks back to the post-World War II era, United States President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order today to officially rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
The name change would revert the department to its original title, which was in use from 1789 until it was changed by law in 1947.
A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity before the official announcement, said the change would take place as soon as the president signs the executive order.
The move comes as the Trump administration seeks to project a stronger image for the U.S. military. During a press conference in the Oval Office, President Trump expressed his dislike for the name Department of Defense, saying he felt the original name had a “stronger” sound.
“We had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War. Then we changed it to Department of Defense. So, that’s a little thing,” Trump said. “It has nothing to do with your country, but it’s something that I think you’re gonna be hearing about or seeing about over the next couple of weeks. Probably that change is gonna be made over the next week or so.”
While an executive order can authorize the Pentagon to use “secondary titles,” the name change would require new legislation to be enacted by Congress. A White House fact sheet released on Friday indicated that the Trump administration plans to formally request that legislation.
The announcement was preceded by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who, on X (formerly Twitter), reposted a post from Fox News and captioned it with three words: “DEPARTMENT OF WAR.”
The Department of War was established in 1789, the same year the U.S. Constitution went into effect. It was renamed the Department of Defense in 1947, a change that came two years after the end of World War II.
