The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Thursday that he intends to rename the Department of Defense as the “Department of War.” This change will be made through an executive order that Trump will sign on Friday, authorizing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explore both legislative and executive actions for a permanent renaming of the department.
Renaming federal departments requires the approval of Congress, meaning that Trump cannot unilaterally change the name of the Department of Defense. Therefore, the executive order will instruct Hegseth to recommend necessary actions to Congress. The idea behind the renaming is to project a more powerful image, as Trump believes the current title carries a “defensive” tone. Trump has implemented similar name changes on other places and institutions as a means to leave his mark.
Originally known as the War Department, the Department of Defense was renamed in 1947 when Congress consolidated the Army, Navy, and Air Force following World War II.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/us-trump-to-relabel-pentagon-as-department-of-war/a-73887300?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
