Trump pushes to rename Defense Department as 'Department of War'

New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 31, 2025 05:37 IST

The Trump administration is moving forward with plans to rename the Department of Defence as the Department of War, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited a White House official on Saturday. The shift follows remarks by President Donald Trump on Monday, when he said the name "just sounded to me better."

Changing the name of the US military’s largest department would likely require congressional approval, but the White House is exploring other possible routes to implement the change, the report said.

Republican Representative Greg Steube of Florida has already introduced an amendment to the annual defence policy bill that would support the renaming, signalling some Republican backing in Congress.

While the White House has not provided specifics, it reiterated Trump’s recent comments highlighting a renewed focus on military aggression and combat readiness.

“As President Trump said, our military should be focused on offence – not just defence – which is why he has prioritised warfighters at the Pentagon instead of DEI and woke ideology. Stay tuned!” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly, referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

In a conversation with reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump suggested the rebranding was inspired by a desire to project strength. "It used to be called the Department of War and it had a stronger sound," Trump said. "We want defence, but we want offence too ... As Department of War we won everything, we won everything and I think we're going to have to go back to that."

The original War Department was restructured through the Security Act of 1947, which created the Military Establishment and unified the Army, Navy, and newly formed Air Force. A 1949 amendment to that act formally introduced the Department of Defence, creating the current structure.

President Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have been working to reshape the military’s image into one that projects more aggression, while also implementing other significant changes. These include removing top military officials whose views reportedly conflict with the administration’s direction.

The Trump administration has also pushed to ban transgender individuals from enlisting in the military and to discharge those currently serving. The Pentagon has maintained that transgender individuals are medically unfit for service, a claim strongly rejected by civil rights advocates, who say the policy amounts to unlawful discrimination.

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With inputs from Reuters