Trump weighs renaming DOD back to War Department

President Donald Trump has revived a decades-old debate by signaling his intent to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, reports Politico. The proposal would undo a 1947 reorganization under President Harry Truman, who consolidated the Army, Air Force, and Navy under a newly created Defense Department to centralize military authority and move away from the overtly aggressive “War Department” label that had existed since 1789.

Trump has suggested the switch at recent public events, including a NATO summit in June, where he called Secretary Pete Hegseth his “Secretary of War” and claimed that “political correctness” drove the 1947 renaming. “I don’t want to be defense only. We want offense too,” Trump said at the White House on Tuesday, framing the potential change as a symbolic restoration of military assertiveness.

Any rebranding would likely require congressional approval, as the Defense Department was established by statute. Pentagon officials referred questions to the White House, which has not commented on whether a formal proposal is in the works.

The push reflects Trump’s long-standing preference for projecting military strength abroad, even as he touts his efforts to negotiate peace agreements. Hegseth, a vocal ally, polled his social media followers earlier this year on whether they preferred “Defense” or “War” in the department’s title; most chose “War.”