US President Donald Trump is set to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War.
He will sign an executive order today, September 5, for the defence Department to use the new name as a secondary title and for Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to be known as Secretary of War.
The US’s defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, reposted Fox News’ X post on the change, with the caption “Department of War” in capital letters.
The name change will likely be subject to congressional approval.
According to the BBC, text of the executive order, which says: “The name ‘Department of War’ conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to ‘Department of Defense,’ which emphasizes only defensive capabilities.”
In an effort to “project strength and resolve,” the order authorises the defence secretary, his department and subordinate officials to use the new titles as secondary names.
The order also instructs Hegseth to recommend and include legislative and executive actions to move toward a permanent renaming of the department since Trump cannot formally change the name without congressional approval.
The Department of War was established by George Washington but was rebranded following World War II.
According to the executive order, restoring its name “will sharpen the focus of this Department on our national interest and signal to adversaries America’s readiness to wage war to secure its interests”.
The White House is yet to say how much a permanent rebrand would cost, but US media expects a billion-dollar price tag for the overhaul of hundreds of agencies, emblems, email addresses, uniforms and more, possibly hampering the Pentagon’s efforts to cut spending and waste.
Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of the name change, arguing that the US had “an unbelievable history of victory” in both world wars under the previous name.
He has also expressed optimism that lawmakers would support such a change.
“I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that. I don’t even think we need that,” the president said last week. “But, if we need that, I’m sure Congress will go along.”
