Why has Trump renamed the US Department of Defense to Department of War?

US President Donald Trump plans to motion an executive bid connected Friday to alteration nan sanction of nan Department of Defense to nan Department of War, arsenic portion of his thrust to task a beardown image of America's subject might.

Although nan Republican president cannot formally alteration nan sanction of nan Department of Defence — America's defence ministry — without legislature approval, Trump is group to authorise nan Pentagon to usage “secondary titles" for illustration “secretary of war” and “Department of War” successful nan meantime.

The bid besides directs US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to urge imaginable legislative moves to rename nan section permanently.

The plans were disclosed by a White House charismatic — who requested anonymity up of nan nationalist announcement — and elaborate successful a White House truth sheet.

After Fox News revealed nan plans for nan executive order, nan Pentagon main took to societal media and shared a station stating “Department of War”.

This rebrand has not travel retired of nan blue, arsenic Trump and Hegseth person many times talked astir changing nan department’s name, pinch Hegseth moreover creating a societal media canvass connected nan taxable successful March.

Speaking to reporters successful August, Trump stated, “everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of triumph erstwhile it was nan Department of War. Then we changed it to nan Department of Defence.”

When confronted pinch nan anticipation that making nan sanction alteration would require an enactment of Congress, Trump told reporters that “we’re conscionable going to do it.”

“I’m judge Congress will spell on if we request that,” he added.

Previously known arsenic Department of War

Although Trump’s executive bid has sparked a governmental and ineligible controversy, nan Department of Defense was really first called nan Department of War erstwhile it was created successful 1789, nan aforesaid twelvemonth that nan US Constitution took effect.

The section kept this sanction up until 1947, erstwhile correct aft World War II President Harry Truman signed nan National Security Act, which merged nan antecedently abstracted Army, Navy and Air Force.

In turn, Truman rebranded nan ministry and named it nan National Military Establishment.

Yet, nan National Military Establishment would beryllium a short-lived title, arsenic 2 years later successful 1949, nan authorities limb was renamed and branded nan Department of Defense.

A slew of changes backed by nan Trump administration

The move is conscionable nan latest successful a agelong statement of taste changes Hegseth has made to nan Pentagon since taking agency astatine nan opening of nan year.

Early successful his tenure, Hegseth pushed difficult to destruct what he saw arsenic nan impacts of “woke culture” connected nan subject by not only ridding nan section of diverseness programs but besides removing libraries and websites of worldly deemed to beryllium divisive.

In turn, hundreds of books, which included titles connected nan Holocaust, were reviewed and removed from subject academies.

Meanwhile, thousands of websites honouring contributions to nan subject from women and number groups were besides deleted.

“I deliberation nan president and nan caput person been very clear connected this — that anybody that says successful nan Department of Defense that diverseness is our spot is, is frankly, incorrect,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told reporters successful March erstwhile quizzed connected these decisions.

Hegseth has besides presided complete nan removal of each transgender troops from nan subject successful statement pinch an executive bid signed by Trump successful January. Transgender group person said nan determination was some “dehumanising” and a show of “open cruelty”.