Trump Signs Order to Rename Pentagon as Department of War

Washington, The Gulf Observer: U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, a move he described as a return to America’s military heritage and strength.

The announcement comes alongside parallel efforts by Republican lawmakers to enshrine the change into law, as only Congress has the constitutional authority to create, dissolve, or rename federal departments. Pending legislation has been introduced by Rep. Greg Steube of Florida, an Army veteran, along with Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).

“From 1789 until the end of World War II, the United States military fought under the banner of the Department of War,” Steube said in a statement. “It is only fitting that we honor their legacy by restoring the name of the ‘Department of War’ to our Armed Forces.”

The Department of War was established in 1789 and existed until 1947, when President Harry Truman reorganized the nation’s military command structure. The Department of Defense was then created, absorbing the Department of War, the Department of the Navy, and the newly established Air Force.

Trump has repeatedly argued that the original name “just sounded better,” linking it to what he described as America’s “unbelievable history of victory.” Speaking to soldiers at Fort Benning, Georgia, on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hinted that the name change was imminent, telling troops he might have “a slightly different title tomorrow.”

While critics note that a formal renaming requires congressional approval, Trump dismissed the concern, telling reporters, “We’re just going to do it. I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that.”

The move marks the latest in a series of symbolic changes at the Pentagon under Trump and Hegseth, who have pledged to roll back what they call “woke” policies. Recently, they sought to reverse the renaming of U.S. military bases that once honored Confederate leaders. Following a congressionally mandated review in 2023, bases such as Fort Bragg were renamed, but the Trump administration reinstated similar names by honoring different individuals, such as World War II paratrooper Pfc. Roland L. Bragg.

The maneuver has drawn criticism from some Republicans in Congress, who accused the administration of circumventing legislative authority. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who supported the original base renaming measure, said, “What this administration is doing, particularly this secretary of defense, is sticking his finger in the eye of Congress by going back and changing the names to the old names.”