President Trump Renames Pentagon to Department of War, Criticizes "Woke" Change

President Trump Signs Executive Order to Rename Department of Defense

President Trump has signed an executive order renaming the US Department of Defense to the Department of War. He referred to the original name as "woke" and stated that the new title conveys "a message of victory" and "a message of strength".

The change can only be used as a secondary title until Congress approves it, but the department's website and social media accounts have already transitioned to war.gov. Pete Hegseth's office now displays a new sign reading "Secretary of War".

Mr. Hegseth described the move as not being "politically correct" but emphasized that it signifies a shift towards offense rather than defense, aiming to nurture warriors.

President Trump signed the executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday, stating, "We won the First World War. We won the Second World War. We won everything before that and in between."

The official executive order highlights that the name change reflects the nation's readiness to fight and win wars promptly, not just to defend. It instructs Mr. Hegseth to work on legislation within 60 days to make the renaming permanent.

The Department of Defense, commonly known as the Pentagon, was called the War Department from 1789 until 1949. Historians suggest the name change post-World War II aimed to emphasize the US's focus on preventing conflicts.

President Trump's decision to revert to the former more aggressive title could incur significant costs for updating letterheads and building signs in the US and at military bases worldwide.