President Donald Trump hinted at plans to rename the Department of Defense to its original moniker, the Department of War, according to Just the News. The later change, which Trump said has softened the agency's mission, occurred in 1949 in an amendment to the 1947 National Security Act.
The aim of changing the name was to create an umbrella term for the agency that would incorporate all branches of the military under one agency. Trump's plan to restore the original name is something he and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been teasing.
In March, Hegseth asked for feedback from his base as to what the department should be called, while Trump quipped that Hegseth was the "Secretary of War" during remarks in June. After bandying about the change, it, the president said that he expects the name change to come as soon as "next week or so."
The announcement was made during a news conference with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday. Trump was asked about whether it requires an act of Congress, and he replied that he was sure it would pass if he needed approval, making it seem like an inevitability. "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, 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 World War I, World War II. It was called the Department of War. And to me that's really what it is," the president continued. "Defense is a part of that. But I have a feeling we're going to be changing," Trump said.
The president said that the change is "going to be made over the next week or so" to the name. "I'm talking to the people. Everybody likes that. We had an unbelievable history of victory when it was the Department of War. Then we changed it to Department of Defense," Trump said.
Trump thinks it makes the U.S. sound weak, which is one of the reasons he believes the change is necessary. "The other is, defense is too defensive. And we want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too, if we have to be. So it just sounded to me like a better name," Trump said.
Trump's businesses all bear his famous name, especially his buildings, which often feature it in big gold letters for the world to see, so he understands the importance a name carries. To that end, the president issued an executive order, "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness," on January 20, 2025.
"It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes. The naming of our national treasures, including breathtaking natural wonders and historic works of art, should honor the contributions of visionary and patriotic Americans in our Nation’s rich past," Trump's order said on the first day of his presidency.
One of those was restoring the name of Mount McKinley, which "honors President McKinley for giving his life for our great Nation and dutifully recognizes his historic legacy of protecting America’s interests and generating enormous wealth for all Americans." The area was previously renamed to Denali to reflect the indigenous peoples who live there.
The most infamous renaming came when Trump suggested the Gulf of Mexico would be renamed the Gulf of America. "The Gulf will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping America’s future and the global economy, and in recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance to our Nation’s economy and its people, I am directing that it officially be renamed the Gulf of America," the executive order said.
Trump is conscious of the power that comes with a name, and he's taking that philosophy to benefit America and its legacy. The American military should strike fear into its enemies, and Trump is right to use the name to project strength and American greatness, which is something Democrats will no doubt hate.
