President Donald Trump signed an order on Friday, changing the name of the Department of Defense back to the Department of War, arguing that the rebrand marks an important change in America’s view of foreign conflict.
Trump and renamed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in the Oval Office that the rebrand points back to an era in American history when U.S. forces focused on decisive victory. The War Department was established in 1789 after America won the War for Independence, but the name changed to the Department of Defense in 1949, following decades of victories, including in World War I and World War II.
Trump said that the change to Defense Department was evidence of the United States going “woke.”
“So we won the first World War, we won the second World War, we won everything before that and in between. And then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So, we’re going Department of War,” Trump said.
.@POTUS: “We won the first World War. We won the second World War. We won everything before that and in between — and then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So, we’re going Department of War.” pic.twitter.com/Vct6X3L9JU
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 5, 2025
“I think it sends a message of victory,” Trump added of the name change. “I think it sends really a message of strength. We’re very strong. We’re much stronger than anyone would really understand.”
.@POTUS on the message sent by bringing back the Department of War: “I think it sends a message of victory… really a message of strength — we’re very strong. We’re much stronger than anyone would really understand.” pic.twitter.com/v8q3Rzmbg3
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 5, 2025
Secretary of War Hegseth said that the United States has “not won a major war since” the Department of War changed to the Department of Defense.
“And that’s not to disparage our war fighters who, whether it’s the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or our generation of Iraq and Afghanistan,” Hegseth added. “That’s to recognize that this name change is not just about renaming — it’s about restoring. Words matter. It’s restoring, as you’ve guided us to, Mr. President, restoring the warrior ethos, restoring victory and clarity as an end state.”
Trump said that the U.S. military has always remained “very strong,” but added that in modern times, “We just never fought to win.”
“We didn’t lose anything, but we didn’t fight to win,” he said. “We could’ve won every one of those wars quickly, but they went a route that I think was probably politically correct, but not correct for our nation, so I think the Department of War sends a signal.”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, who was also by Trump’s side in the Oval Office, told the president, “The mission you and the secretary have given us is clear and unambiguous — to deliver peace through overwhelming strength. And I remind everyone that the U.S. military can reach any adversary at the time and place of our choosing.”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine: “Mr. President… America’s military is the single most powerful fighting force in the world. The mission you and @PeteHegseth have given us is clear and unambiguous — to deliver peace, through overwhelming STRENGTH.” pic.twitter.com/WQHeMNjghn
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 5, 2025
