Trump Revives ‘Department of War’ in Symbolic Pentagon Rebranding
WASHINGTON — President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order on Friday authorizing the Pentagon to be styled once again as the Department of War, reviving a name that vanished from official use more than three quarters of a century ago. The move, long floated in Mr. Trump’s speeches as a symbol of what he calls a “warrior ethos,” is largely symbolic but carries broad political and cultural resonance.
The order allows the department’s new chief, Pete Hegseth, to be addressed as “Secretary of War” in public documents, speeches and ceremonial settings, though the agency remains legally designated as the Department of Defense under the 1949 National Security Act. Congress, which alone has the power to rename Cabinet departments, has not acted on the change.
A Return to a Bygone Name
Mr. Trump and Mr. Hegseth have framed the measure as a restoration of military clarity and purpose. “Defense sounds timid,” Mr. Trump said in remarks at the White House. “We need strength, we need warriors. The Department of War tells the world exactly who we are.”
The Pentagon itself offered no immediate comment. Current and former defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the shift as a political branding exercise rather than a change in mission. But the order sets in motion a series of costly logistical updates: new signage, seals, and letterhead across domestic bases and overseas commands.
Legal and Historical Boundaries
The United States maintained a Department of War from 1789 until 1947, when Congress reorganized the armed services after World War II. By 1949, the National Security Act established the Department of Defense, emphasizing coordination among the Army, Navy and newly created Air Force.
Legal scholars note that only Congress can formally alter that structure. “The president can use whatever label he likes for public consumption,” said Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas, “but the statutory name remains the Department of Defense unless and until Congress acts.”
Reactions and Risks
Democratic lawmakers criticized the order as provocative at a time of heightened tensions with Iran and China. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a combat veteran, called it “an exercise in martial nostalgia that does nothing to strengthen our actual defense.”
Supporters in Mr. Trump’s orbit countered that the language matters. “Words shape identity,” said Mr. Hegseth in a Fox News interview. “Our enemies should know this is a country ready to fight.”
How far the administration intends to push the rebranding remains unclear. The executive order directs Mr. Hegseth to present additional legislative or administrative steps to codify the change. For now, the United States will have two names for its military headquarters: one etched in law, the other etched in politics.
