Trump plans to rename Pentagon 'Department of War' in costly move

Donald Trump Plans to Rebrand US Department of Defense as "Department of War"

Donald Trump is set to rename the US Department of Defense as the "Department of War," as announced by the White House. The president will sign an executive order to allow this new title to be used alongside the current one for the government's largest organization. This move will also enable defense secretary Pete Hegseth to refer to himself as the "secretary of war" in official communications and events.

While the permanent renaming of the department would require congressional approval, the White House stated that the executive order will initiate the process under Mr. Hegseth's guidance. The Department of Defense, commonly known as the Pentagon due to its Washington HQ's shape, was previously called the War Department until 1949. The name change at that time aimed to signify the US's focus on conflict prevention after World War II and the nuclear era.

President Trump's decision to revert to the more aggressive title could incur significant costs, potentially amounting to tens of millions. This would involve updating letterheads and building signs in the US and at military bases worldwide. Earlier this year, Mr. Hegseth overturned Joe Biden's initiative to rename nine army bases that honored the Confederacy and Confederate leaders, a move estimated to cost $39 million.

Critics have already voiced opposition to Trump's renaming plan, questioning the allocation of funds. Democratic senator Tammy Duckworth, a member of the armed services committee, suggested redirecting the money towards supporting military families or employing diplomats to prevent conflicts. Trump's previous federal renaming orders have included controversial changes such as renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf Of America" and restoring Denali in Alaska to its former name of Mount McKinley. Both the Mexican government and Alaska's Republican senators rejected these alterations.