Trump Set To Sign Executive Order Renaming Department Of Defense To ‘Department Of War’

Last Updated:September 05, 2025, 06:47 IST

The Department of War was rebranded in the aftermath of World War II during a restructuring of the US military apparatus.

The order will designate ‘Department of War’ as a secondary title (IMAGE: REUTERS file)

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Friday to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, Reuters reported. The proposed change would mark a return to the agency’s historical name, last officially used in the 1940s.

In recent days, Trump has signalled his intent to revive the older name to better reflect the department’s role in handling wars and global conflicts. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has publicly backed the decision, with both leaders framing it as part of the administration’s broader “warrior ethos” campaign within the Pentagon.

A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital on Thursday that Trump will roll out the name change via executive order. According to a White House fact sheet, the order will designate “Department of War” as a secondary title for the Department of Defense and refer to Secretary Hegseth using the title “Secretary of War.”

“Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War,” Trump told reporters on August 25. “Then we changed it to Department of Defense.”

The Department of War was rebranded in the aftermath of World War II during a restructuring of the US military apparatus. However, Trump has frequently expressed a desire to reinvigorate traditional military language as a way to project American strength.

According to Fox News Digital, the planned changes also include renaming the Pentagon’s briefing room as the “Pentagon War Annex,” along with updates to the department’s website, official signage, and internal communications.

While a full, official name change for the Department of Defense would likely require an act of Congress, it remains unclear what legal steps the President plans to pursue on Friday. “We’re just going to do it, I’m sure Congress will go along, I don’t even think we need that,” Trump said last month.

The executive order also directs Secretary Hegseth to propose both legislative and executive actions aimed at making the name change permanent.

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