President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to rebrand the Pentagon as the “Department of War,” a move that restores its historical name used from 1789 until 1949.
The executive order allows the Defense Department to use “Department of War” as a secondary title, and authorizes officials to use titles like “Secretary of War” in official correspondence, public communications, and ceremonial contexts. The Pentagon moved quickly to implement changes, with new signage appearing at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office and the department’s website changing from defense.gov to war.gov.
“It’s a very important change because it’s an attitude,” Trump said during the Oval Office signing ceremony. “It’s really about winning.” The White House fact sheet described the renaming as a way of “projecting strength” and signaling to adversaries “America’s readiness to wage war to secure its interests.”
Secretary Hegseth, who joined Trump at the signing, embraced the change, saying: “We’re going to go on the offence, not just on defence. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality.” He called it “not just about renaming, it’s about restoring” a warrior ethos.
The name “Department of War” dates back to 1789 when it was established to lead the U.S. Army. It held this name through major conflicts including the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II. The department was renamed in 1949 as part of post-World War II restructuring to consolidate the military branches under one agency, with “Defense” chosen to emphasize deterrence rather than warfare.
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Legal experts note that Trump’s order cannot officially change the department’s statutory name, which was established by Congress. A permanent rename would require congressional action. Several Republican lawmakers, including Senator Mike Lee of Utah, Senator Rick Scott of Florida, and Representative Greg Steube of Florida, have already introduced legislation to make the change official.
Critics have raised concerns about the cost and necessity of the rebranding. Changing signage, letterheads, email addresses, and other branded materials across global military installations would require significant resources. For comparison, the Biden administration’s effort to rename nine military bases that honored Confederate leaders was estimated to cost $39 million.
The renaming is part of Trump’s broader efforts to reshape the military’s image. Since taking office in January 2025, he has restored original names of military bases that were changed after racial justice protests in 2020, presided over a military parade in Washington DC, and deployed troops to the southern border and certain U.S. cities.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell called the new name “a nod to our proud heritage” that reflects the department’s “core mission: winning wars.”
When asked about the potential cost of the rebranding, Trump downplayed concerns, saying, “We’re going to do it not in the most expensive way. We’re gonna start changing the stationary as it comes due and lots of things like that.”
