--- title: Trump Signs Order Rebranding DOD as 'Department of War' description: "I think it's a much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now," Trump said in the Oval Office. canonical: https://time.com/7314840/department-of-defense-name-change-department-of-war-pete-hegseth-trump/ author: Callum Sutherland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-09-05T11:13:03.000Z article:modified_time: 2025-09-05T21:43:25.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Signs Order Rebranding DOD as 'Department of War' og:description: "I think it's a much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now," Trump said. og:url: https://time.com/7314840/department-of-defense-name-change-department-of-war-pete-hegseth-trump/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc20be7a45caf02d4/6998c98e83ec378d56c7ae9c/GettyImages-2232038596.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5760 og:image:height: 3240 og:image:alt: President Trump Signs Executive Orders In The Oval Office Of The White House og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Signs Order Rebranding DOD as 'Department of War' twitter:description: "I think it's a much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now," Trump said. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc20be7a45caf02d4/6998c98e83ec378d56c7ae9c/GettyImages-2232038596.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Trump Signs Executive Order Rebranding Department of Defense as the 'Department of War' > Sponsored content. 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Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=b1509f87-ad09-4703-8cbe-0f58aadbef81&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Updated: Sep 5, 2025 9:43 PM UTCPublished: Sep 5, 2025 11:13 AM UTC  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is present as President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders in the Oval Office of the White House on Aug. 25, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is present as President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders in the Oval Office of the White House on Aug. 25, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Updated: Sep 5, 2025 9:43 PM UTCPublished: Sep 5, 2025 11:13 AM UTC President [Donald Trump](https://time.com/7280106/trump-interview-100-days-2025/) signed an Executive Order in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday, directing that the Department of Defense be renamed as the "Department of War." "I think it's a much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now," Trump said. "We have the strongest military in the world, we have the greatest equipment in the world... every element of the military we make the best, by far." Trump then invited his "Secretary of War" to say a few words. The Executive Order authorizes Defense Secretary [Pete Hegseth](https://time.com/7279333/pete-hegseth-troubles-giving-republicans-serious-heartburn/) to use the title “Secretary of War” in official correspondence and public communications, according to a White House fact sheet viewed by TIME. Speaking at the signing, Hegseth said: "This name change isn't just about renaming, it's about restoring. Words matter.... it's restoring the warrior ethos. Restoring victory and clarity as an end state. Restoring intentionality to the use of force." The Defense Secretary went on to say that the War Department is "going to go on offense, not just on defense. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct." The Executive Order instructs the Secretary of War to recommend actions, to include legislative and executive actions, required to permanently rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War. Department name changes require approval from Congress. Until approval is obtained, the "Department of War" is set to serve as a secondary title. As the Republicans hold slight majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives, Trump is unlikely to encounter much pushback. When asked by a reporter how much the rebrand might cost, in light of the Trump Administration's position re: cutting back on spending, Trump didn't respond with any exact figures. "Not a lot. We know how to rebrand without having to go crazy. We don't have to re-carve a mountain or anything, we're going to be doing it not in the most expensive... we're going to start changing the stationery as it comes through and lots of things like that," Trump said. **Read More**: [_Why Pete Hegseth’s Troubles Are Giving Republicans Heartburn_](https://time.com/7279333/pete-hegseth-troubles-giving-republicans-serious-heartburn/) Ahead of the signing ceremony, Hegseth had teased the departmental rebranding. Upon leaving the Joint Base Andrews military facility in Maryland on Thursday, he [told](https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/04/politics/video/pete-hegseth-department-of-defense-renaming-vrtc) reporters: “Thank you for traveling with the War Department!” Meanwhile, Trump has previously said that the “Department of War “sounded better” and stronger. "We want defense, but we want _offense,_ too ... As Department of War we won everything, we won everything and I think we're going to have to go back to that,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Aug. 25. In the 1940s, the Department of Defense was given its current name, and department officials were titled in accordance. It was [approved by Congress](https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/28655-document-11-national-security-act-amendments-1949-10-august-1949) as part of the National Security Act Amendments of 1949\. The DOD had previously been called the Department of War. The reversion back to its former title is the latest in a series of name changes under the Trump Administration. Shortly after returning to the White House for his second term, Trump signed an Executive Order to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” as the “Gulf of America.” “I am very honored to recognize Feb. 9, 2025, as the first ever Gulf of America Day,” Trump said in a [White House](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/gulf-of-america-day-2025/) proclamation. The Trump Administration went on to change the name of [seven U.S. army bases](https://time.com/7293047/trump-announces-7-military-bases-reverting-back-to-names-honoring-confederates/) in June. The facilities were previously named after Confederate general officers, but [were changed in 2022](https://time.com/6180832/military-bases-remove-confederate-names-history/) under the Congress-formed Naming Commission, approved by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin of the Biden Administration. 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