U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to Department of War. Accordingly, the Secretary of Defense will also be called the Secretary of War. The decision was already announced earlier, and the formal order was signed yesterday.
The Department was originally called the Department of War when it was established in 1789. But it was renamed as Department of Defence in 1947, 2 years after the end of Word War II. President Donald Trump said, “The name “Department of War,” more than the current “Department of Defense,” ensures peace through strength, as it demonstrates our ability and willingness to fight and win wars on behalf of our Nation at a moment’s notice, not just to defend.”
After the order was passed, process of changing signages around the Pentagon has already started. Videos show workers replacing signages of Department of with Department of War.
NEW: The newly minted Department of War removes ‘Defense’ from official signage. pic.twitter.com/rVBcWimYgn
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 5, 2025
Signs of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his deputy Steve Feinberg were promptly changed to “Secretary of War” and “Deputy Secretary of War” on the doors of their offices.
Workers at the Pentagon were seen scrambling to replace signages, transforming the iconic five-sided building into a living testament to Trump’s unconventional approach to global peace.
? WOW: Washington Now Has Office Of WAR As Trump Rebrands Department of Defence pic.twitter.com/9ZYrr2u269
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) September 6, 2025
The website of the department has already been changed from defense.gov to war.gov. Its X account is now called @DeptofWar.
Ironically, the order for name change came from the president who wants to end all wars in the world. Donald Trump is demanding the Nobel Peace Prize with the claim that he has already ended seven wars in the world. He is trying hard to end the Russia-Ukraine war, by punishing India, but has not been successful so far.
As per reports, the name change will be costly, as the govt will have to replace a large number of signages, letterheads, and other stationery used not only at the Pentagon, but at all US defence establishments across the world.
