Trump Rebrands Department of Defense as “Department of War” to Project Strength

In a bold and controversial move, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday, September 5, 2025, directing the Department of Defense to adopt the secondary title of “Department of War.”

The decision, which revives a name used by the agency until 1947, aims to project a more assertive and powerful image of the U.S. military on the global stage.

The executive order, first reported by Fox News, does not formally rename the department—such a change would require congressional approval—but authorizes the use of “Department of War” and titles like “Secretary of War” for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in official correspondence, public communications, and ceremonial contexts.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump emphasized that the name “Department of Defense” is “too defensive” and does not fully reflect the military’s capabilities.

“We want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too if we have to be,” Trump said, citing the U.S.’s “unbelievable history of victory” in World War I and World War II when the agency was called the Department of War.

He argued that the rebranding reflects a shift away from what he described as “woke ideology” and a focus on restoring a “warrior ethos” within the Pentagon.

Hegseth echoed Trump’s sentiments, stating, “We’re going to go on offense, not just on defense. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality.

We’re going to raise up warriors, not just defenders.” The Pentagon’s website was updated to war.gov shortly after the signing, and signage changes began, signaling the administration’s swift implementation of the rebrand.

The Department of War was established in 1789 under President George Washington and oversaw the U.S. military until 1947, when it was reorganized under the National Security Act and renamed the Department of Defense to emphasize prevention in the nuclear age