President Trump’s administration is pushing to restore the Defense Department’s historical name, emphasizing a shift toward offensive military priorities.
The Trump administration has confirmed efforts to rename the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” reviving its original title from before the post-World War II era. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stated that the rebrand reflects an intention to prioritize “warfighters at the Pentagon instead of DEI and woke ideology,” echoing President Trump’s repeated calls for the military to focus on offense as well as defense.
President Trump, discussing the proposal with reporters, remarked, “It used to be called the Department of War and it had a stronger sound. We won World War I and World War II, and I think we’re going to have to go back to that.” He indicated that a decision could be announced soon, with some information possibly released “over the next week or so.”
Restoring the historic name would require congressional action, and Republican Representative Greg Steube has introduced an amendment to the annual defense policy bill in support of the change, suggesting growing legislative backing. Nevertheless, the White House has also explored alternative administrative methods for implementation.
The Department of War was established in 1789 and was only renamed the Department of Defense in 1949, following the creation of the unified National Military Establishment after the passage of the National Security Act of 1947.
The prospective rebranding comes as part of broader military policy changes under Trump, including leadership shakeups and controversial reforms affecting diversity and inclusion initiatives.
White House officials say the change would “restore traditional US military values,” but the proposal has already drawn both political support and criticism across the spectrum
