Washington, D.C. / Islamabad — United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” reviving a title last used more than seven decades ago, after World War Two. 

The symbolic rebranding of the Pentagon, unveiled on Friday, does not carry the force of law since a permanent change would require congressional approval. However, the White House confirmed that the new title will now appear in official executive correspondence, public communications, and ceremonial contexts.

The Pentagon’s website and social media accounts were swiftly updated from Defense.gov to War.gov following the signing. The order also authorizes U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to be addressed as “Secretary of War,” with corresponding titles extended to deputies and undersecretaries.

Trump’s rationale

In remarks at the Oval Office ceremony, Trump argued that the new name reflected American strength and historic victories.

“Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War,” he told reporters late last month. “Then we changed it to Department of Defense. Defense is too defensive. And we want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too, if we have to be.”

Trump also linked the rebranding to his broader criticism of what he called a “woke” Pentagon. “So we won the First World War. We won the Second World War. We won everything before that and in between. And then we decided to go woke, and we changed the name to Department of Defense,” he said. “We should have won everywhere. We could have won every war, but we really chose to be very politically correct or woke.”

White House Statement

In the executive order, Trump invoked the department’s origins under President George Washington in 1789.

“On August 7, 1789, 236 years ago, President George Washington signed into law a bill establishing the United States Department of War to oversee the operation and maintenance of military and naval affairs,” the order reads.

The White House added:

“The name ‘Department of War,’ more than the current ‘Department of Defense,’ ensures peace through strength, as it demonstrates our ability and willingness to fight and win wars on behalf of our Nation at a moment’s notice, not just to defend.”

The order directs the Pentagon to notify Congress within 30 days of any offices adopting the new title and to submit within 60 days a plan outlining legislative and executive actions required to make the renaming permanent.

Pentagon Response

Secretary Hegseth shared the phrase “Department of War” above a news story on social media but made no formal statement.

In a Fox News interview last week, he endorsed the change, saying: “We want warriors, folks that understand how to exact lethality on the enemy. We don’t want endless contingencies and just playing defence. We think words and names and titles matter. So, we’re working with the White House and the president on it. Stand by.”

Historical Roots

The Department of War was the original title of the United States military establishment from 1789 until 1947, when Congress reorganized the armed forces after World War II under the National Military Establishment. In 1949, the department was formally renamed the Department of Defense.

The Pentagon has since been commonly referred to by its initials, “DOD,” or by the shape of its Virginia headquarters.

Wider Significance

The name change is being interpreted as part of Trump’s more aggressive foreign-policy posture. Since beginning his second term, he has overseen bombing campaigns in Yemen, Iran, and the southern Caribbean Sea, despite pledging at his inauguration to act as “a peacemaker and a unifier.”

The rebranding follows other symbolic moves by the Trump administration, including the restoration of original names for military bases that were altered after racial justice protests in 2020, and Trump’s staging of a large-scale military parade in Washington, D.C.

For now, the “Department of War” designation remains secondary and unofficial until Congress acts, but the shift underscores Trump’s intent to align U.S. military identity with the language of offense rather than defense.

Also See: Why Donald Trump Believes He ‘Deserves the Nobel Peace Prize’ and ‘Ended Seven Wars’