President Trump is set to announce a development regarding the Department of Defense on Tuesday, amid discussions of renaming it to the Department of War and considering the possibility of sending the National Guard to Chicago.
“The President will be making an exciting announcement related to the Department of Defense,” stated White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The announcement is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT in the Oval Office. It will mark the first time Trump has made remarks on camera since last Tuesday.
Last Monday, Trump hinted he might soon rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War. He reasoned that the department bore this name during U.S. victories in World War I and World War II.
“Defense is a part of that,” noted Trump. “But I sense we might be changing it. Everyone seems to like that idea. Our history of victory was incredible when it was the Department of War.”
Established by George Washington in 1789, the Department of War continued until it was reorganized under President Truman in 1947. It was officially renamed to the Department of Defense in 1949.
Trump has also recently floated the idea of deploying the National Guard to Chicago in response to crime, a suggestion that has been met with resistance from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) and city officials.
“At least 54 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, 8 people were killed. The last two weekends were similar,” Trump posted Tuesday morning on Truth Social. “Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far. Pritzker needs help badly, he just doesn’t know it yet. I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC.”
The White House last month ordered the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops around Washington, D.C., as part of an effort to reduce crime. Those troops began carrying weapons, though some have been assigned to tasks like picking up trash.
