The names we give to our governmental institutions have power. The once-defunct Department of War has now returned due to the most recent executive order signed by Pres. Donald Trump. The Department of War was formally established in 1789 under Pres. George Washington and was dissolved in 1947 with the passage of the National Security Act. Trump’s rebrand of the Department of Defense back to the Department of War means more than just marketing; it’s a shift in the political messaging of the administration, military identity and the United States’ role on the global stage.
On Sept. 5, Trump signed his 200th executive order since taking office in January, restoring the historical name “Department of War” as a secondary title for the Department of Defense. According to a White House fact sheet, the order authorizes officials and the department itself to adopt secondary titles such as “Secretary of War” or “Department of War” in official correspondence, public communications, ceremonies and documents within the Executive Branch. It also directs all executive departments and agencies to recognize and accommodate these secondary titles in all external communications, and instructs the Secretary of War to recommend actions to permanently rename the Department of Defense to the U.S. Department of War.
When asked about the rebrand, Trump said, “I think it sends a message of victory. I think it sends, really, a message of strength.” He also said, “We won the first world war, we won the second world war, we won everything before that and in between. And then we decided to go woke and change the name to the Department of Defense.” What you can take from this is almost a change from defense to offense.”
Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, then said, “We changed the name after World War II from the Department of War to the Department of Defense in 1947. And as you pointed out, Mr. President, we haven’t won a major war since.” He later said, “Restoring the warrior ethos.” It doesn’t need to be restated that Donald Trump appreciates blunt and direct language, as well as his admiration for the past and restoring America’s former glory.”
Not everyone is happy with the resurgence of the Department of War title. Some argue that renaming the Department of Defense risks projecting an unnecessarily aggressive image to domestic and international audiences. According to The Washington Post, some lawmakers are worried that the resuscitated name undermines decades of efforts to frame U.S. military policy around defense and stability rather than direct confrontation.It has also been reported that Pentagon officials expressed concern that allies might interpret the shift as a signal that the United States is prioritizing offense over cooperation, potentially further straining partnerships in NATO and beyond. Critics warn that the rebrand could normalize war as a central part of governance, downplaying the human and financial costs of military conflict. In this view, the rebranding is less about honoring history, as the White House fact sheet suggested, and more about reshaping the nation’s military identity in ways that can risk further division at home and internationally.
Some had their own opinions on the name change. University of New Haven freshman Kimora Allen said, “I’m not really sure what this means for us. I don’t really understand the logic behind the change.” Freshman Andrew Mastellone said, “It seems to me like we’re on the offense. It sends a message of territoriality and aggression.”
Ultimately, the debate over the Department of War is about more than just the theatrics of it all; it’s about the kind of country the United States wants to project itself to be.
