US President Donald Trump is set to issue an executive order on Friday directing the Pentagon to adopt “Department of War” as a secondary title, with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to also be styled as Secretary of War.
Originally created in 1789 under George Washington, the War Department oversaw US armed forces until 1947, when it was restructured into the Department of Defense following World War II.
The executive order contends that reviving the older name would “sharpen the focus of this Department on our national interest and signal to adversaries America’s readiness to wage war to secure its interests.”
Trump has repeatedly floated the name change in recent months, citing America’s “unbelievable history of victory” in both world wars when the department carried its original title. He expressed confidence that lawmakers would back the idea, saying last week: “I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that. I don’t even think we need that. But, if we need that, I’m sure Congress will go along.”
The order instructs Hegseth to propose legislative and executive actions to work toward making the renaming permanent. However, a full rebrand could carry an estimated billion-dollar price tag, as it would require revising insignias, signage, uniforms, email systems, and other institutional identifiers across hundreds of agencies. This could clash with ongoing Pentagon efforts to curb wasteful spending.
Both Trump and Hegseth have framed the rebranding as part of a broader effort to reorient the Pentagon toward “warfighting” and a “warrior ethos,” criticising what they describe as excessive focus on diversity, equity, inclusion programs, and “woke ideology.”
The announcement also comes at a sensitive geopolitical moment, following China’s recent military parade showcasing advanced drones, weaponry, and defense technology widely viewed as a warning to the US and its allies.
