President Donald Trump recently proposed renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War. This suggestion came during a meeting at the White House with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. Trump expressed his thoughts on the name change, saying, “We call it the Department of Defense, but between us, I think we’re going to change the name.” He indicated that more information on this idea might be shared soon.
Historically, the United States had a War Department, established by President George Washington in 1789. This department existed until 1947 when President Harry Truman reorganized it, leading to the name change to the Department of Defense two years later. Trump emphasized that the term “Department of War” carries a stronger connotation, recalling the victories in both World Wars. He stated, “It used to be called the Department of War, and it had a stronger sound… Now, we have a Department of Defense with defenders. I don’t want to be defense only. We want defense, but we want offense, too.”
A reporter pointed out that officially changing the name would require an act of Congress. Trump seemed unconcerned, suggesting that Congress would support the change if needed. GOP Senator Mike Lee from Utah has already announced plans to introduce legislation to restore the original name.
This isn’t the first time Trump has hinted at reverting to the old name. In June, he joked about temporarily renaming the Department of Defense after the U.S. carried out bombings in Iran. He mentioned, “Maybe for a couple of weeks, we’ll call it that because we feel like warriors.”
Despite his push for a name change, Trump’s administration has also been characterized by efforts to promote peace. He has been referred to as the “peacemaker-in-chief” due to his involvement in resolving various conflicts since taking office.
