President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order directing that the Pentagon formally revert to its original name, the Department of War, a symbolic shift he framed as a declaration of American strength and a rejection of what he called decades of “political correctness” in U.S. military policy.
The order authorizes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s title to change to Secretary of War. However, because the Pentagon’s official name is codified in law, the change will require congressional approval to become permanent.
Speaking at the Pentagon alongside Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Trump said the new branding reflects a return to an era of decisive military victories.
“Really it has to do with winning,” Trump told reporters. “We should have won every war. We could have won every war, but we really chose to be very politically correct or wokey and we just fight forever. We had it, and we won World War I, we won World War II, we won everything before. But then we stopped fighting to win.”
The president argued that the name Department of Defense symbolized a shift toward restraint and compromise, which he suggested contributed to protracted conflicts such as Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. “I think the Department of War sends a signal,” Trump said. “It tells our enemies we mean business.”
When asked how renaming the agency squared with his stated desire to reduce America’s military footprint abroad, Trump maintained that projecting strength was itself a strategy for peace. “Strong nations don’t have to fight,” he said. “If we are strong enough, we don’t have wars.”
Hegseth, a close Trump ally and Iraq War veteran, framed the change as part of a broader cultural shift at the Pentagon. “This is not just about renaming,” Hegseth said. “It’s about restoring. Words matter. Restoring the warrior ethos. Restoring victory and clarity as an instinct.”
The Department of War was created in 1789 under President George Washington and functioned under that name until 1947, when President Harry Truman reorganized the military bureaucracy in the wake of World War II. The National Security Act of 1947 established the National Military Establishment, later renamed the Department of Defense in 1949.
Since taking office, Trump has pushed for the Pentagon to roll back initiatives he and allies have labeled “woke,” including diversity programs and renaming bases that once honored Confederate leaders. The latest move fits into that broader agenda, signaling a rejection of what Trump characterizes as symbolic concessions that undermine military tradition.
The proposal is likely to spark partisan debate in Congress, where some lawmakers are expected to oppose reestablishing a title last used more than 75 years ago. Supporters, however, argue that the shift could reinvigorate morale and restore a historical sense of mission.
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