Hegseth has been a strong leader in the Trump admin. He’s not afraid of any challenge that comes his way.
And Pete Hegseth was given urgent orders to make one massive change to the Pentagon.
In a move that’s sure to fire up patriots across the nation, President Trump signed an executive order on Friday, bringing back the Department of War as a “secondary title” for what we now call the Department of Defense (DOD). This isn’t just some dusty name swap—it’s a statement of raw American power, straight from the man who knows how to put America first.
A White House insider spilled the details to the New York Post on Thursday night, confirming that Trump has been pushing this idea hard.
He’s made it clear in recent weeks that the classic name packs a punch—it’s tougher and fits the bill for our mighty military machine.
The order doesn’t stop at symbolism. It directs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to roll up his sleeves and push for real changes, both through laws and executive moves, to lock in “US Department of War” as the official label for the DOD.
Hegseth gets the green light to flex the “Secretary of War” title in all sorts of spots—official letters, public talks, ceremonies, and any paperwork that isn’t locked down by statutes. It’s a nod to tradition while cranking up the intensity.
Every federal outfit has to play ball, too. The order mandates that departments and agencies acknowledge and roll with these new secondary titles with their communications.
Digging into the roots, the War Department stood tall from 1789 right up to 1947. That’s when Congress carved up the Army and Air Force departments, merging them with the Navy into the National Military Executive.
Just two years later, in 1949, they slapped on the “Department of Defense” tag. But let’s be real—does that capture the full-throttle dominance of our troops? Trump doesn’t think so.
“The United States military is the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world, and the President believes this Department should have a name that reflects its unmatched power and readiness to protect national interests,” stated a White House fact sheet.
The White House is framing this as a power play, one that broadcasts unyielding strength and determination. It’s all tied to Trump’s signature “peace through strength” approach—deterring enemies by showing the U.S. is ready to crush any threat.
Flash back to last month in the Oval Office, where the president laid it out plain. He griped about the current name, saying it misses the mark on what the U.S. military really does.
“‘Defense’ is too defensive,” Trump said. “We want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive, too if we have to be.”
On flipping the script, the president didn’t mince words: “We’re just going to do it. I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that.”
Already, the cavalry’s riding in. At least one key lawmaker is stepping up to turn this into law, proving Trump’s got the backing where it counts.
“I’m drafting a bill to restore the Department of War to its original name— the only name that captures the full range of America’s military capabilities,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said in an X post in August.
This executive order isn’t just another paper push—it’s the 200th one Trump has signed since reclaiming the White House. That’s a milestone of real leadership, cutting through bureaucracy to restore America’s edge in a world full of adversaries.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
