President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order authorizing the Defense Department to use “Department of War” as an official secondary title. He has revived the historic name that was in use 75 years ago. It’s a move supporters say brings long-overdue honesty to what the department actually does, but that leftists found something new to criticize him about.
The order, Trump’s 200th since returning to office, authorizes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his team to use titles such as “Department of War,” “Secretary of War,” and “Deputy Secretary of War” in all communications, ceremonies, and non-statutory documents. Alongside the announcement, the administration launched War.gov, a new portal that mirrors the Pentagon’s existing website but embraces the revived name.
In a White House fact sheet, the administration made the case plainly: “‘Department of Defense’ emphasizes only defensive capabilities. ‘Department of War’ conveys strength, resolve, and America’s readiness to protect its interests by any means necessary.”
Trump, speaking before the signing, said the change was about restoring clarity. “Under the Department of War, the United States won two world wars,” he noted. “Since changing the name to ‘Defense,’ America has been bogged down in drawn-out conflicts that end in stalemate. Words matter.”
Hegseth, standing alongside the president, drove the point home. “This is not just a cosmetic shift,” he said. “It’s about purpose. The War Department wins wars. It does not exist to manage decline, it exists to deliver victory.”
Critics have long noted that the Pentagon’s missions go far beyond “defense” — from conducting overseas combat operations to projecting American power worldwide. The revived name acknowledges that reality in a way that is more transparent with the American people.
The “Department of War” dates back to Aug. 7, 1789, when Congress created the office under President George Washington. For more than 150 years it oversaw the Army and later worked alongside the Navy and Air Force until the 1947 National Security Act rebranded it as the Department of Defense.
Some of the most famous secretaries of war went on to even higher office, including James Monroe, Ulysses S. Grant, and William Howard Taft, who served in office when Alaska became a territory.
The announcement immediately sent the Left into paroxysms of outrage. Liberal commentators and Democratic lawmakers accused Trump of saber-rattling, nationalism, and “dangerous symbolism.” Online, progressive activists denounced the launch of War.gov as a “provocation.”
Conservatives, however, see the reaction as more evidence of Trump Derangement Syndrome, he reflexive opposition to anything the president does.
“Only the Left could be offended by calling something what it actually is,” one Alaska veteran told Must Read Alaska. “The Pentagon fights wars. Trump just has the honesty to say it out loud.”
