(The Hill) — The White House has announced that President Trump will sign an executive order this Friday to officially change the Department of Defense’s name to the Department of War.
Trump has been hinting at this change recently, saying it aligns with historical precedent and better describes the Pentagon’s military activities.
Fox News initially reported that Trump would sign this executive order on Friday. The order also updates the position title from Secretary of Defense to “Secretary of War.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared the updated title on social media platform X on Thursday night.
The order is also said to instruct Hegseth to suggest legislative steps to solidify the name change, though Trump has mentioned he was not too worried about needing Congress’s approval.
The Department of War was originally created by George Washington in 1789 and lasted until its reorganization in 1947 by President Harry Truman. It was then renamed to the Department of Defense in 1949.
“Defense is a part of that,” Trump said last week, adding, “But I feel we’re going to be changing. Everyone approves. We had incredible success when it was called the Department of War.”
