President Trump has signed an executive order to rebrand the US Department of Defense as the Department of War. He described the original name as "woke" and stated that the new title conveys "a message of victory" and "a message of strength". While the new title can only be used as a secondary designation unless Congress approves the change, the department's website and social media accounts have already adopted the new name. Additionally, Pete Hegseth's office door now displays a sign reading "Secretary of War".

Mr Hegseth commented that the rebranding is not about being "politically correct" but rather about taking an offensive stance. He stated, "We're going to raise up warriors, not just defenders." The executive order was signed in the Oval Office on Friday, where President Trump remarked, "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. So we're going Department of War."

The president dismissed concerns that the rebranding contradicts his peacemaking efforts, claiming he has already "ended seven wars". He asserted, "I think I've gotten peace because of the fact that we're strong." The official executive order states that the name change "demonstrates our ability and willingness to fight and win wars on behalf of our Nation at a moment's notice, not just to defend". It also instructs Mr Hegseth to pursue legislation within 60 days to make the change permanent.

Historically, the Department of Defense was known as the War Department from 1789 until 1949. Historians note that the name change was intended to reflect a focus on preventing conflict following the Second World War. The rebranding could incur significant costs, potentially amounting to tens of millions of dollars, as letterheads and signage at military bases worldwide may need to be updated.

Earlier this year, Mr Hegseth reversed President Biden's initiative to rename nine army bases that honour Confederate leaders, which was estimated to cost $39 million. Trump's previous renaming orders have included controversially changing the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf Of America" and reverting Denali in Alaska back to its former name, Mount McKinley, both of which faced opposition from various groups.