President Donald Trump says he wants to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
It would be a return to the department’s original name it carried until 1949, when it was changed during a post-World War II rebrand.
Trump addressed the media in the Oval office on Monday morning, saying, ‘It used to be called the Department of War. It had a stronger sound… we are defenders.’
He added in part, ‘It just sounded bad to me, on behalf of the Department of Defense? I don’t want to be defense only. We want defense, but we want offense, too, if that’s okay.’
‘As the Department of War, we want everything, and I think we’re going to have to go back to that.’
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stood behind the president, assuring him that the new changes are ‘coming soon, sir.’
The president responded with, ‘You let me know if you want to do it.’
Whether that was an order, or a suggestion, is still unclear.
Earlier today, South Korea’s new president Lee Jae-myung met with President Trump, accepting questions from reporters on other topics.
Addressing a question on the Department of Defense’s potential name change, he reiterated, ‘Between us, I think we’re going to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War.’
On the timing of it all, he added, ‘Probably, that change is going to be made over the next week.’
Originally created by President George Washington in 1789, the Department of War functioned for almost 160 years.
During the 1940s, it was disbanded, and its responsibilities were split between the Department of the Army and the newly established Department of the Air Force.
In 1949, the organization underwent a name change, becoming the Department of Defense (DOD).
The Department of Defense, the largest federal agency, oversees more than 3.4 million active-duty personnel, civilian and reservists employees.
Currently under the leadership of Secretary Hegseth, the department has been undergoing a strategic shift aligned with President Trump’s priorities.
Hegseth has emphasized redefining the mission and operational focus of the DOD, championing a ‘peace through strength’ doctrine – a philosophy that promotes military readiness and deterrence as a means of maintaining global stability.
This approach reinforces the department’s core objective of protecting national security while reflecting the administration’s broader vision of American power and influence.
President Trump has informally referred to Hegseth as the ‘Secretary of War,’ a nod to his assertive stance on defense matters.
He has also highlighted a rise in military enlistment during his second term, framing it as a sign of renewed confidence in the armed forces under his administration.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the potential name change or the timeline.
White House Spokeswoman Anna Kelly tells Daily Mail, ‘As President Trump said, our military should be focused on offense – not just defense – which is why he has prioritized warfighters at the Pentagon instead of DEI and woke ideology. Stay tuned!’