Trump Wants to Scrap the Pentagon’s Name and Bring Back the Department of War

President Trump is once again stirring the pot in Washington, this time by suggesting that the Department of Defense should go back to its old name, the Department of War.

“We want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive, too, if we have to be,” Trump told reporters during an Oval Office event on Monday afternoon.

The president used the “Department of War” label several times that day, including during his meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. He argued the country had an “unbelievable history of victory” when the department carried that title, pointing to the United States’ success in World War I and World War II.

Earlier in the day, Trump hinted the change could happen “over the next week or so.” Hours later, he softened the idea, saying he would leave the final call to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “We’ll do it a couple of more times. And if everyone likes it, we’ll make that change.”

When asked if Congress would need to approve the switch, Trump brushed it off. “We’re just going to do it. I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that. I don’t think we even need that.”

This isn’t the first time Trump has floated the idea. He’s casually called Hegseth his “Secretary of War” before, including in a Truth Social post last month. Back in June, he claimed the name “Department of War” was dropped decades ago because the country “became politically correct.”

In reality, the name change came after World War II, when the U.S. military was reorganized. The Army and Navy were pulled under a single Cabinet-level department in 1947, and President Harry Truman told Congress it was necessary to “cut costs and at the same time enhance our national security.” That law also created the CIA and the National Security Council. Two years later, Congress officially named it the Department of Defense.

The War Department itself dates back to President George Washington’s first term, where it managed the Army. A separate Navy Department was created in the late 1790s to oversee naval forces and eventually the Marine Corps. For over a century, those two agencies operated on their own until Truman merged them.

The talk of reviving the Department of War name has already sparked plenty of debate. Critics argue the shift would be symbolic more than anything, but it’s a reminder of how Trump often gravitates toward sharp, bold language. Whether it’s nostalgia for America’s wartime victories or just a branding move, it’s the kind of change that fits his style.

For now, it’s not clear if this will actually happen, or if it’s another trial balloon. What is clear is that Trump likes the sound of it, and history shows he often pushes forward on the things he repeats most.

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