U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
Trump said the War Department is a “bigger” name, especially in the current security environment, after signing the order on Friday.
He added: “We won World War I, we won World War II. We have the most powerful army in the world and the greatest equipment in the world. By far, we are the greatest manufacturer of equipment.”
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He asserted that the name change conveyed a message of “victory” and “power” globally.
He added: “We are very strong. We are much stronger than anyone really understands.”
He repeated his claim that he had ended seven global wars again.
“I became peaceful because we were strong. There are two reasons for them: trade and strength. These are two reasons. And strength may be more important than trade.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the news was about “restoring the spirit of the fighter.”
He added: “The War Department will fight decisively, not endless conflicts. It will be to win and not lose. We will continue to attack, not just defend. We will develop warriors, not just defenders.”
Under federal law, Trump cannot unilaterally change the name and must be approved by Congress.
On the question of whether he would seek approval from lawmakers, Trump said: “He will be in front of Congress.”
The U.S. president added: “We are signing an executive order today, but we will find out. Let me see if they do that. We are in progress and we will do it very strongly. We will submit it to Congress.”
The Ministry of War was established in 1789 to supervise military affairs.
It retained the name until 1947 when President Harry Truman’s National Security Act reorganized the army, separated the army and the air force, and merged the navy with the navy into a unified structure.
In 1949, Congress was renamed the Ministry of Defense to reflect the focus after World War II on national security and deterrence.
