The suggestion has sparked political debate, with critics questioning its legality and symbolism. (Image Credits: Yahoo)
US President Donald Trump has once again stirred controversy, this time by suggesting the rebranding of the Pentagon’s name. On Monday, Trump said he wants the “Department of Defense” to return to its old, pre-1947 name: the “Department of War.” The president argued that the older name sounded “stronger” and reflected America’s history of victory.
Speaking at an event with senior officials including Vice President JD Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Trump openly mocked the word “defense.”
“‘Defense’ doesn’t sound good to me. What are we defending? Why are we just defending?” he said, before reminiscing that during World War I and II, America had the ‘Department of War’, and it was a time when the country used to win wars.
Trump explained further, “Defense is too defensive. And we want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too, if we have to be. It just sounded better.”
The president even jokingly asked the officials standing behind him to “take a little vote” on whether they wanted the old name back. Among those present were Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and DEA Head Terry Cole. Trump added that he wouldn’t mind if the group decided to revert the Pentagon to its former name.
Later in the day, during a joint appearance with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Trump again referred to the Pentagon as the “Department of War.” He praised Pete Hegseth, a close ally, for supporting the proposed rebranding.
Reporters immediately raised the question of legality. Renaming the Department of Defense requires an act of Congress, not a presidential decree. When pressed on this, Trump brushed aside the procedural hurdle, saying:
“We’re just going to do it. I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that.”
His casual dismissal of the constitutional process has already sparked sharp debate in Washington, where critics argue that this is yet another example of Trump’s disregard for democratic norms.
The Department of War existed from 1789 to 1947 and played a central role in America’s early military history. But after World War II, with the National Security Act of 1947, the US restructured its military forces and renamed it the Department of Defense—a title meant to reflect stability and peace in the post-war world.
Trump’s proposal, therefore, is not just about a name change; it symbolically reopens a debate about whether America should project itself as a global peacekeeper or a military powerhouse.
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While Trump’s supporters online cheered the idea as a show of “strength,” critics blasted the proposal as reckless. Social media platforms were filled with memes mocking the idea of renaming the Pentagon. Some users warned that the move could damage America’s international image, making it appear more aggressive at a time when diplomacy is key.
For Trump, the shift from “Defense” to “War” is more than semantics. It fits into his larger “America First” worldview, where strength and fear play a bigger role than soft diplomacy. However, whether Congress—or the American public, will back such a radical symbolic move remains uncertain.
