Trump to Rename Pentagon the 'Department of War'

President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order on September 5 that will officially restore the name "Department of War" for the Pentagon, a White House official said.

The order will allow the use of the department's original name, "Department of War," alongside the current "Department of Defense" name, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will become the "Secretary of War." The order also directs Hegseth to take legislative and executive steps to make the change permanent, Fox News reports.

As part of the implementation, the Pentagon's public websites and office signs will be changed, including renaming the public affairs briefing room to the "Pentagon War Annex."

The White House confirmed on September 4 that Trump will sign the order the next day.

The U.S. Department of War was established in 1789 to oversee the Army, while the Navy operated under its own separate department. After World War II, President Harry Truman sought to unify the armed forces, which led to the creation of the National Military Establishment in 1947, which was renamed the Department of Defense two years later.

Trump has characterized the 1949 change as an example of political correctness, while Hegseth has noted that the current name "just doesn't sound right."