Trump To Resurrect ‘Department Of War’ In New Order
President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that will revive the historical title “Department of War” for the Pentagon — marking a symbolic shift in the administration’s military philosophy and posture.
The order, which is expected to be signed Friday, will designate “Department of War” as an official secondary name for the Department of Defense. The title “Secretary of War” will also be applied to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has championed the name change as part of a broader effort to reestablish what he calls the “warrior ethos” across the armed forces.
In addition to the executive order, Hegseth is reportedly working with White House legal teams to draft legislation that would permanently change the Department of Defense’s official name back to the Department of War — a title it held from 1789 until 1947, when it was replaced under the Truman administration.
Hegseth made his stance clear on social media Thursday night, posting simply: “DEPARTMENT OF WAR.”
DEPARTMENT OF WAR https://t.co/uyAZGiklRi
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) September 4, 2025
“Warrior Ethos” Replacing Bureaucracy
Speaking Wednesday night, Hegseth said the change reflects a deeper cultural realignment.
“We’ve reestablished at the department the warrior ethos. We want warriors — folks that understand how to exact lethality on the enemy,” he said. “We don’t want endless contingencies and just playing defense. We think words and names and titles matter. So we’re working with the White House and the president on it. Stand by.”
President Trump foreshadowed the move last month during an Oval Office press event, calling Hegseth’s leadership “incredible” and teasing the return of the historic name.
“You know, we call it the Department of Defense, but between us, I think we’re going to change the name,” Trump said. “You want to know the truth, I think we’re going to have some information on that maybe soon.”
Echoes of America’s Victories
The United States originally operated under a Department of War structure from the country’s founding through the post–World War II era. President Trump has repeatedly tied the name to a more victorious and decisive time in American military history.
“It used to be called the Department of War, and it had a stronger sound,” Trump said during remarks on August 25. “As you know, we won World War I, we won World War II, we won everything. Now, we have a Department of Defense with defenders.”
“I don’t want to be defense only. We want defense, but we want offense too — if that’s okay,” the president added. “As Department of War, we won everything. And I think we’re gonna have to go back to that.”
Momentum on Capitol Hill
Senator Mike Lee of Utah has already pledged to introduce legislation to codify the name change, calling it a “much-needed restoration of strategic clarity and historical honesty.”
The Trump administration’s broader national security strategy has increasingly emphasized decisive, offensive action against threats abroad, including military strikes against narco-terrorist networks, expanded deployments in the Pacific, and crackdowns on domestic subversion and espionage.
If finalized, the name change would mark the most significant symbolic restructuring of the military’s identity in over 75 years — one aligned with a renewed doctrine of strength, deterrence, and victory.