President Trump is considering, in the next few weeks, renaming the US Department of Defense to the Department of War, a name similar to the department’s original name, the US Department of War.
The former name was established by President George Washington in 1789. The Department of War existed alongside the Navy Department before their convergence.
The War Department was changed to the Department of Defense through the National Security Act signed by President Harry Truman, which went into effect in 1949.
While speaking with reporters on the subject Monday, Trump recalled the US military victories from the 20th century and their association with the prior name.
“[When] we won World War I, World War II, it was called the Department of War. And to me, that’s really what it is,” Trump said. “Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War. Then we changed it to Department of Defense.”
Trump is confident that Congress, whose approval is needed for the name to be changed, will be of like mind to him and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, whom he has previously called “Secretary of War.”
“I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that. I don’t think we even need that. But, if we need that, I’m sure Congress will go along… And, just to me, seems like just a much more appropriate,” he said.
Trump also commented that the new name has the connotation of an offensive military tendency, opposed to being solely defensive.
“The other is… too defensive. And we want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too, if we have to be. So it just sounded to me like a better name.”
