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Coverage dated September 3, 2025 to September 5, 2025

Trump’s Department of War rebrand

Headline from The Hill, on the newest of 2 developments

{beacon} Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense & National Security Defense & National Security The Big Story Trump’s Department of War rebrand President Trump on Friday signed an order to formally change the Department of Defense to the Department of War, framing the reb…

The Hill's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Earlier updates in this story

Developments in this update

2 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Trump order aims to bring back ‘Department of War’

    Headline from Foxla ·

  2. Newest

    Trump’s Department of War rebrand

    Headline from The Hill ·

Read the reports

Reports & sources

47 articles, oldest first.

  1. New York Post

    Trump to formally order renaming of Department of Defense to Department of War (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    President Trump will sign an executive order Friday restoring the Department of War name as a "secondary title" for the Department of Defense.

  2. Forbes

    Trump To Rename Department Of Defense To Department Of War (opens Forbes)

    Published

    Forbes's feed description

    The name change will be made official through an executive order Trump is slated to sign Friday.

  3. Fox News

    Trump to rename Pentagon, restoring historic ‘Department of War’ in latest military move (opens Fox News)

    Published

    Fox News's feed description

    The Trump administration unveiled plans to rebrand the Department of Defense as Department of War, the title the agency previously used until 1949.

  4. Washington Examiner

    Trump to sign order renaming Pentagon to 'Department of War' (opens Washington Examiner)

    Published

    Washington Examiner's feed description

    The executive order will also grant Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth the title of "secretary of war."

  5. CBS News

    Trump to sign executive order renaming Defense to Department of War (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    President Trump will sign an executive order Friday directing the Department of Defense to use the name Department of War as a "secondary title" — restoring a name it last held in the late 1940s.

  6. Fox7 Austin

    Trump order aims to bring back ‘Department of War’ (opens Fox7 Austin)

    Published

    Fox7 Austin's feed description

    President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Friday directing the Pentagon to use the historic name “Department of War,” though Congress alone has the power to make the change official.

  7. Deutsche Welle

    US: Trump signs order renaming Pentagon 'Department of War' – DW (opens Deutsche Welle)

    Published

    Deutsche Welle's feed description

    US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to change the name of the Department of Defense to the "Department of War." This move revives a name that was abandoned over seven decades ago.

  8. Fox News

    Trump signs order renaming Pentagon back to ‘Department of War’ (opens Fox News)

    Published

    Fox News's feed description

    President Trump on Friday officially authorized the Defense Dept. to change its name to the Department of War, something Secretary Pete Hegseth said helps to restore "warrior ethos."

  9. New York Post

    DoD officially renamed ‘Department of War’ with Trump’s executive order (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    President Trump on Friday officially penned his name on an executive order restoring the Department of Defense title to "Department of War."

  10. Digital Journal

    Trump hails Department of War rebrand as 'message of victory' (opens Digital Journal)

    Published

    Digital Journal's feed description

    US President Donald Trump signed an order Friday rebranding the Department of Defense as the Department of War, saying it sent a "message of victory" to

  11. Breaking Defense

    Department of War: Trump gives DoD 'secondary' name, awaiting Congressional buy in (opens Breaking Defense)

    Published

    Breaking Defense's feed description

    “What would really increase the Department’s focus is prioritizing on-time passage of a budget, acquisition reform, and not squandering decades of war fighting experience by arbitrarily firing senior officers instead of doing circus tricks like changing DOD’s name,” said Kori Schake with AEI.

  12. Los Angeles Times

    Trump executive order aims to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War (opens Los Angeles Times)

    Published

    Los Angeles Times's feed description

    “It's a much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now,” Trump said. He said the previous name was “woke.”

  13. The Guardian

    Trump signs executive order rebranding Pentagon as ‘Department of War’ (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    Order directs Pete Hegseth to seek congressional approval for permanent change from ‘Department of Defense’

  14. ABC 7 Los Angeles

    Trump signs order renaming Pentagon 'Department of War' | LIVE (opens ABC 7 Los Angeles)

    Published

    ABC 7 Los Angeles's feed description

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War.

  15. WCNC

    Trump executive order will rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War (opens WCNC)

    Published

    WCNC's feed description

    The Department of War was the original name from 1789 until it was changed in 1947, two years after World War II ended.

  16. MyNorthwest

    Trump executive order tries to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War (opens MyNorthwest)

    Published

    MyNorthwest's feed description

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday aiming to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War — a

  17. WMUR

    Trump Renames Defense Department as Department of War (opens WMUR)

    Published

    WMUR's feed description

    President Donald Trump signs an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War.

  18. Al Jazeera

    Trump symbolically changes Department of Defense to ‘Department of War’ (opens Al Jazeera)

    Published

    Al Jazeera's feed description

    Pentagon chief says name signals more offensive approach to US military, but change unofficial without change to law.

  19. ABC 7 New York

    Trump to sign order renaming Pentagon 'Department of War': Sources (opens ABC 7 New York)

    Published

    ABC 7 New York's feed description

    President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Friday renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War.

  20. NBC News

    Trump signs executive order rebranding Defense Department as Department of War (opens NBC News)

    Published

    NBC News's feed description

    The order permits the use of titles like "secretary of war" but it does not formally rename the department. That would require congressional approval.

  21. New Hampshire Union Leader

    Trump orders return to the (opens New Hampshire Union Leader)

    Published

    New Hampshire Union Leader's feed description

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday to rename the Department of Defense the "Department of War," reverting to a title it held until after World War Two

  22. Forbes

    Is Trump Renaming Department of Defense To Department Of War Legal? What To Know. (opens Forbes)

    Published

    Forbes's feed description

    The White House will install the Department of War as a “secondary name” to get around Trump’s inability to actually rename the agency.

  23. The Boston Globe

    Trump executive order renames the Department of Defense as the Department of War (opens The Boston Globe)

    Published

    The Boston Globe's feed description

    The order comes as some of President Trump’s closest supporters on Capitol Hill proposed legislation that would codify the new name into law, with Congress having the sole power to establish.

  24. The Hill

    Trump’s Department of War rebrand (opens The Hill)

    Published

    The Hill's feed description

    {beacon} Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense & National Security Defense & National Security The Big Story Trump’s Department of War rebrand President Trump on Friday signed an order to formally change the Department of Defense to the Department of War, framing the reb…

  25. Black Enterprise

    But Why? Trump Wants To Rebrand Department of Defense To ‘Department of War’ (opens Black Enterprise)

    Published

    Black Enterprise's feed description

    History says the Department of War was created in 1789 but was changed to Department of Defense by President Harry Truman in 1947.

Showing the first 25 of 34 headlines. ·

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.