Trump’s Department of War
On September 5, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the United States Department of Defense to be known as the Department of War.
The executive order says:
“Section 1. Purpose. On August 7, 1789, 236 years ago, President George Washington signed into law a bill establishing the United States Department of War to oversee the operation and maintenance of military and naval affairs. It was under this name that the Department of War, along with the later formed Department of the Navy, won the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II, inspiring awe and confidence in our Nation’s military, and ensuring freedom and prosperity for all Americans. The Founders chose this name to signal our strength and resolve to the world. 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. This name sharpens the Department’s focus on our own national interest and our adversaries’ focus on our willingness and availability to wage war to secure what is ours. I have therefore determined that this Department should once again be known as the Department of War and the Secretary should be known as the Secretary of War. “
“I think it’s a much more appropriate name, in light of where the world is right now,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday, adding that “it sends a message of victory”.
The order says Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will be known as secretary of war. It instructs him to recommend and include legislative and executive actions to move towards a permanent renaming of the department.
Speaking during the signing, Hegseth said that “this name change is not just about renaming, it’s about restoring”, adding “words matter”.
“We’re going to go on offence, not just on defence. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct,” he said. “We’re going to raise up warriors, not just defenders.”
The Pentagon’s website changed to war.gov late on Friday, along with the headline ‘U.S. Department of War’.
What action we should expect after this is unknown. However, the U.S. government is involved in many military conflicts, including in Israel and Ukraine. Taiwan might become the next battleground in a potential conflict with China. Time will tell, but we should definitely be focusing our attention elsewhere.
I wish the world were run by poets and philosophers, not by bankers and generals.
DB
