Cliff Notes
- President Trump has signed an executive order to rebrand the US Department of Defense as the Department of War, describing the former name as “woke” and emphasising a message of strength.
- The change can only be implemented as a secondary title without Congressional approval, yet the department’s website and social media accounts have already been updated to reflect the new branding.
- The move, intended to convey aggression rather than mere defence, could incur significant costs for updating signage and materials across the military.
President Trump signs order rebranding Pentagon as the Department of War | US News
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President Trump has signed an executive order rebranding the US Department of Defense as the Department of War.
He called the original name “woke” and said the new title sent “a message of victory” and “a message of strength”.
It can only be used as a secondary title unless Congress approves the change – but the department’s website has already switched to war.gov – as have its social media accounts.
The door of Pete Hegsesth’s office has also been adorned with a fresh “Secretary of War” sign.
Mr Hegseth said the move wasn’t “politically correct” but that it showed “we’re going to go on offence”.
“We’re going to raise up warriors, not just defenders,” he added.
President Trump signed the executive order in the White House’s Oval Office on Friday.
“We won the First World War. We won the Second World War. We won everything before that and in between,” he said.
“And then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So we’re going Department of War.”
The president denied the rebrand ran contrary to his peacemaking efforts – which he claims have already “ended seven wars”.
“I think I’ve gotten peace because of the fact that we’re strong,” he told reporters.
The official executive order states that the name “demonstrates our ability and willingness to fight and win wars on behalf of our Nation at a moment’s notice, not just to defend”.
It also commands Mr Hegseth to pursue legislation within 60 days to make the change permanent.
The Department of Defense – often referred to colloquially as the Pentagon due to the shape of its Washington HQ – was called the War Department from 1789 until 1949.
Historians say the name was changed to show the US was focused on preventing conflict following the Second World War.
President Trump’s reversion to the previous more combative title could end up costing tens of millions, with letterheads and building signs in the US and at military bases around the world potentially needing a refresh.
Joe Biden‘s effort to rename nine army bases honouring the Confederacy and Confederate leaders, set to cost $39m (£29m), was reversed by Mr Hegseth earlier this year.
Mr Trump’s other federal renaming orders include controversially labelling the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf Of America” and reverting North America’s tallest mountain, Denali in Alaska, to its former name of Mount McKinley.
The Mexican government and Alaska’s Republican senators both rejected the changes.