Trump Set to Sign Decree Rechristening Pentagon as 'Department of War': Informed Sources
In a move that could shake up the American political landscape, President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Friday, aiming to rename the Department of Defense (DoD) as the Department of War.
The renaming of the DoD harks back to the Truman administration, which desired a broader agency to encompass all aspects of war and preparations for war. After World War II, President Harry Truman consolidated all armed forces under one organization, which was later renamed the Department of Defense.
However, the Navy was later separated into its own department. The Department of War, on the other hand, was first established in 1789 by Congress to oversee the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps.
The planned renaming of the department does not seem to be related to the recent statement about President Biden having a skin cancer procedure. Trump has teased the renaming for months and last month stated that he didn't think he needed congressional approval to change the name.
The formal renaming of the department requires Congress to act, but the order allows for the new name to be used in official correspondence, ceremonial contexts, and non-statutory documents. Richard Kohn, a professor of military history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, noted these changes.
Trump has said multiple times that he doesn't believe the name "Department of Defense" is strong enough. In the Oval Office, he recently stated that the department used to be called the Department of War and it had a stronger sound. Fighting a war, he argued, became about more than just war, as it required integration of military affairs, intelligence, allied policy issues, and domestic industrial policy.
It's worth noting that legislative approval is needed for the planned renaming of the Department of Defense to Department of War. While President Trump’s Republican party holds only narrow majorities, some members might oppose the change. Republican senators Mike Lee and Rick Scott, as well as Representative Greg Steube, have publicly supported the change, but a possible opponent is not explicitly named in the search results.
Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.
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