WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a move that stunned both allies and critics, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the “Department of War”, restoring the title that had been abandoned since 1949.
The announcement came Friday during a high-profile Oval Office ceremony. Trump introduced Pete Hegseth as the new Secretary of War and Steve Feinberg as the Deputy Secretary of War, marking the official rebrand of America’s military leadership.
“It’s a very important change, because it’s an attitude,” Trump declared while signing the order. “It’s really about winning.”
The Pentagon wasted no time in embracing the change, updating its iconic signs at the Arlington, Virginia headquarters.
Hegseth, a vocal advocate of the shift, emphasized the aggressive new posture:
“We’re going to go on the offense, not just on defense. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality.”
For more than 150 years, the U.S. War Department managed the Army and Navy until Congress reorganized the military in 1949, adopting the Department of Defense to project a deterrent, rather than offensive, stance in the nuclear age.
But Trump insisted the old name better represents American strength and tradition. Just days before the order, he hinted at the decision while meeting South Korean President Lee Jae-myung:
“We had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War. Then we changed it to Department of Defense.”
The renaming signals not only a revival of history but also a bold rebranding of America’s military identity under Trump’s leadership.
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