President Donald Trump said Monday that he plans to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War, saying the change could happen within the next week.
Trump made the announcement during White House events where he praised Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying “Pete Hegseth has been incredible with the, as I call it, the Department of War.”
“You know we call it the Department of Defense, but between us, I think we’re going to change the name. You want to know the truth? I think we’re going to have some information on that, maybe soon,” Trump told reporters. “But I think because, you know, Department of Defense, we won the World War I, World War II. It was called the Department of War. And to me that’s really what it is. Defense is a part of that. But I have a feeling we’re going to be changing.”
The president said he has been discussing the idea with officials and claimed widespread support.
“I’m talking to the people. Everybody likes that. We had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War. Then we changed it to Department of Defense,” he said. “It’s something that I think you’re going to be hearing about or seeing about over the next couple of weeks” and “probably that change is going to be made over the next week or so.”
“I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that. I don’t think we even need that. But, if we need that, I’m sure Congress will go along,” Trump said. “You know, that was the name when we won World War I. We won World War II. We won everything. And, just to me, seems like just a much more appropriate” name.
Hegseth appeared to confirm the plan during the same White House event.
When Trump suggested taking a vote on changing the name back “to what it was when we used to win wars all the time,” Hegseth responded, “That’s coming soon, sir.”
“It used to be called the Department of War. It had a stronger sound. Now we have a Department of Defense, we’re defenders,” Trump said. “If you people want to, standing behind me, if you take a little vote, if you want change it back to what it was when we used to win wars all the time, that’s OK with me. We want defense, but we want offense too, if that’s OK.”
The Department of Defense explains on its website that Congress established the War Department in August 1789 “at the cabinet level to oversee the operation and maintenance of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps” under President George Washington. The name remained through World War I and World War II.
Following the conclusion of World War II, President Harry Truman signed the National Security Act in July 1947, which merged “the Navy and War Departments and the newly independent Air Force into a single organization called the National Military Establishment led by a civilian secretary of defense who also oversees the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”
Two years later in August 1949, the National Security Act was amended, renaming the National Military Establishment to the Department of Defense, which has been the official name for over 75 years.
Trump and Hegseth have previously hinted at this possible name change in recent months as they work to remake the Pentagon and restore what they describe as a warrior mentality to the military.
The potential renaming is part of broader changes Trump has implemented at the Pentagon, including ordering a pause of all social media posts to ensure they align with priorities on “readiness, lethality and warfighting” rather than what critics called “woke” priorities under previous administrations.
Trump has also moved to eliminate programs that prioritized race and gender above merit throughout the federal government and has been working to reshape military leadership and policies.
The name change proposal reflects Trump’s broader pattern of renaming federal landmarks and programs. He has already renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and restored the original name of North America’s tallest peak from Denali back to Mount McKinley.
Trump’s approach to military naming has been consistent throughout his political career. During his previous term, he strongly opposed efforts to rename military bases that had been named after Confederate generals, threatening to veto defense spending bills that included such provisions.
It remains unclear whether Trump would need congressional approval to rename the Department of Defense or if he could accomplish the change through executive action.
However, Trump expressed confidence Monday that the Republican-controled Congress would support the change if needed.