Donald Trump to rename US defence department as ‘Department of War’; Here’s why

Trump, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been pushing for a tougher, more aggressive image for the US military. As part of this, they have also replaced several top officials whose opinions did not match Trump’s plans.

US President Donald Trump said he wants to change the name of the Department of Defence back to the “Department of War” because he thinks it sounds stronger. According to a Fox News report, he plans to sign an order on Friday to make this change official. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump explained that the name “Defence” doesn’t sound right to him. “It used to be called the Department of War, and that had a powerful sound. Back then, we won World War I, we won World War II, we won everything. Now it’s the Department of Defence—we’re always defending,” he said.

Trump even asked his cabinet members to give their opinion. “If you vote and want to go back to the old name, that’s fine with me. The Department of War just sounds better,” he added. He also mentioned that he doesn’t just want the country to focus on defence, but on offence too.

JUST IN: Donald Trump will sign an executive order Friday to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, Fox News reports.

We are living in the dumbest of times. pic.twitter.com/qlD8FCMqxB

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) September 4, 2025

From the Department of War to the Department of Defence

The United States first created the Department of War in 1789, led by a Secretary of War who oversaw both the Army and naval forces. Later, in 1798, the Navy was given its own separate department.

When the Air Force was formed, it also came under the Department of War. But after World War II, President Harry Truman reorganized the military through the National Security Act of 1947. This created separate departments for the Army and the Air Force, while still keeping them linked under a larger structure called the National Military Establishment (NME).

In 1949, all three branches—the Army, Navy, and Air Force—were brought together under one roof at the Pentagon. At the same time, the NME was renamed the Department of Defence, which remains its name today.