‘I’m sure Congress will go along’: Trump brings back 150-year-old name that ‘just sounded better’ – but can he actually do it?

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to bring back the historic “Department of War” as a secondary title for the Defense Department. The move on Friday fulfills a campaign promise that Trump has been discussing for months. The order allows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials to use titles like “Secretary of War” and “Department of War” in official communications and ceremonies.

The executive order does not officially change the department’s name. That would require approval from Congress. Instead, it makes “Department of War” a secondary title that federal agencies must recognize and use when needed. The order also instructs Hegseth to recommend both legislative and executive actions needed to make the name change permanent.

“We’re just going to do it. I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that,” Trump told reporters, as per The New York Times, in August when he first announced his plans. He added that “Defense is too defensive” and argued the old name had “a stronger sound” tied to American military victories in World War I and World War II.

History behind the name change

The Department of War was established by George Washington in 1789, just months after the Constitution was ratified. It served as the nation’s military department for 158 years, overseeing all military affairs until Congress created a separate Navy Department in 1798. The first Secretary of War was Henry Knox, who had served as a commander during the Revolutionary War.

President Harry Truman changed the name in 1947 as part of the National Security Act. This law merged the Navy and War departments with the newly independent Air Force into a single organization called the National Military Establishment. Two years later, Congress amended the act and renamed it the Department of Defense. According to military historians, the name change reflected the department’s expanded duties beyond just war fighting to include foreign policy, intelligence, and national security.

Richard H. Kohn, a professor at the University of North Carolina who specializes in military history, said the 1949 name change was not about political correctness. “It was to communicate to America’s adversaries and the rest of the world that America was not about making war but defending the United States,” he explained. The new name also reflected an emphasis on avoiding war in the early nuclear age.

The Trump administration has focused on restoring what they call a “warrior ethos” to the military under Secretary Hegseth. In a recent interview, Hegseth said the name change is “not just about words – it’s about the warrior ethos.” He added that they want “warriors, folks that understand how to exact lethality on the enemy” rather than endless defensive strategies.

The order will require changes to public websites and office signs at the Pentagon. This includes renaming the public affairs briefing room the “Pentagon War Annex.” All executive departments and agencies must also recognize and use these secondary titles in their communications. Hegseth has faced scrutiny in recent months over various controversies, but Trump continues to support his defense secretary.

Legal experts have raised questions about whether Trump can make this change without congressional approval. Before the White House announcement, Columbia Law School professor Jamal Greene said it was unclear if the president could rename federal departments created by acts of Congress. However, since the executive order only adds a secondary title rather than officially changing the name, it may face fewer legal challenges. The move follows other Trump administration efforts to restore historical names, including his recent order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.