United States President Donald Trump signed the executive order on Friday evening, renaming the Department of Defence as the Department of War.
The move is part of Trump’s broader plan to change what he said sounded more like a passive name and gave submissive signals to his enemies. The move is seen in Washington defence circles as a broader plan by the president to project strength on the world stage.
The department was actually called the Department of War from its establishment in 1789 until 1947, though Harry Truman renamed it as part of post-World War II reorganisation.
Trump’s executive order on Friday stated, “The new name better 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.” He, after signing the order in the Oval Office, said, “I think it sends a message of victory.”
Reports on Friday said that Trump’s order, according to the US Constitution, must be approved by the US Congress. With this change, Trump has also authorised the designation change for the Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, who will now be referred to as Secretary of War as his “additional secondary title”.
Meanwhile, the change was also reflected on the Pentagon’s website. Similarly, the office for the Pentagon chief has also been updated. Pentagon spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson hailed Trump’s “historic move” to restore the department’s original name. “Defence alone is not enough; we must be ready to strike and dominate,” she said.
Also Read: Trump to rename US Department of Defence to Department of War
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