Trump Signs Executive Order Restoring ‘Department of War’ as Secondary Title

President Donald Trump has reintroduced a historic name into U.S. government. On Thursday, he signed an executive order authorizing the Department of Defense to also be referred to as the Department of War.

The order allows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use the title Secretary of War. Trump said the move reflects a return to America’s military tradition before the mid-20th century, when the War Department oversaw the nation’s armed forces through both World Wars.

“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.

While the Department of Defense will remain its official name, since a formal change would require congressional action, the new executive order restores the Department of War as a secondary title for use in official capacities.

The order marks Trump’s 200th executive order since returning to office, according to White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf. That total surpasses the number signed by both former Presidents Biden and Obama during comparable timeframes.

The decision has drawn national attention, with supporters applauding the symbolic return to a title steeped in history, while critics question whether the move signals a shift in tone for U.S. foreign and military policy.

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