President Donald Trump has announced a controversial shift in U.S. military branding, ordering that the Department of Defence (DoD) be rebranded as the “Department of War.”
The White House revealed on Thursday that although the official title of the agency remains fixed by law, an executive order signed by Trump allows his administration to use the alternative name as a “secondary title.”
According to a White House document, defence officials are now permitted to adopt terms such as “Secretary of War” in official correspondence, public communications, ceremonial events, and non-statutory records within the executive branch.
While Trump’s schedule for Friday indicated a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, it was not immediately disclosed whether the order had been formalized at press time.
The president, known for his marketing-driven approach to politics, has hinted for weeks about the rebranding. “The Department of War was the name when we won World War I, we won World War II, we won everything,” Trump told reporters on August 25.
Trump, 79, has argued that the Department of Defence sounds too “defensive” and lacks the assertiveness needed to reflect U.S. military strength. The White House document underscored that the new terminology “conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve.”
Established in the early years of U.S. independence, the Department of War originally managed America’s land forces before a post-World War II restructuring merged it with the U.S. Navy and newly created Air Force under the National Military Establishment. In 1949, that body was renamed the Department of Defence.
“Restoring the name ‘Department of War’ 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 noted.
This marks the latest Pentagon overhaul since Trump appointed former Fox News commentator and military veteran Pete Hegseth to lead the department. Hegseth has pushed for a “warrior ethos,” opposing policies from prior administrations that he and Trump have dismissed as “woke.”
Hegseth has also advocated for barring transgender individuals from serving in the military and reversing the renaming of U.S. bases that once honoured Confederate figures.
Though Trump’s directive could be overturned by a successor, the order also instructs the new “Secretary of War” to propose steps, including legislative measures, to make the rebrand permanent.
okay.ng reports that the move has stirred debate across Washington, with critics warning it could escalate global tensions while supporters argue it revives a legacy of military strength.
