Alexandar Sullivan:
In a move steeped in history and symbolism, President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, marking a sharp rhetorical departure from decades of U.S. military framing. The new title, which mirrors the department’s original name from 1789 to 1947, will now appear in official White House statements and federal correspondence.
Trump presented the change during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, describing it as part of a broader rejection of what he called “woke” ideology within the military. “We won the First World War. We won the Second World War. We won everything before that and in between. And then we decided to go woke, and we changed the name to Department of Defense,” he said. “We should have won everywhere. We could have won every war.”
Administration officials clarified that while the executive order allows the use of “Department of War” as a secondary title, formal adoption would still require Congressional legislation. Several Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Greg Steube of Florida and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, have already introduced bills to codify the change.
At the ceremony, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, now referred to as Secretary of War, praised the move as a restoration of America’s fighting spirit. “The War Department is going to fight decisively, not endless conflicts. It’s going to fight to win, not not to lose,” Hegseth said. “Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct.”
The rebranding comes amid intensified U.S. military activity, including recent airstrikes in Yemen, Iran, and the southern Caribbean Sea, one of which killed 11 people aboard a small boat the administration described as linked to narcotics trafficking. Critics argue such actions highlight the dangers of abandoning a defense-oriented posture.
The original switch from War to Defense in 1947 was meant to emphasize prevention over combat during the nuclear age. Trump’s reversal, however, underscores his administration’s intent to project strength and redefine America’s military identity for a new era.
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