United States President Donald Trump is all set to sign an executive order to rename the Department of Defence to the 'Department of War'. The move is aimed at reviving the name that was abandoned over seven decades ago.
The White House, while confirming the development, said, "Trump is renaming the Department of Defence as the 'Department of War'." Trump is likely to sign the executive order later today, authorising the Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Defence Department to use 'secondary titles', said the document released by the White House on Thursday.
Though it clearly states that the President cannot change the name without legislation, as the renaming of US departments needs congressional assent. As per the document, Donald Trump’s order would instruct Hegseth to recommend legislative and executive actions to "permanently rename" the department.
What forced Donald Trump to rename the Department of Defence is not yet clear. However, Trump has constantly insisted that the change in the name of the Department of Defence was needed for better functionality.
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Trump said the largest organisation in the US government was giving a softer and defensive image, while a changed name would project a more powerful image of the United States. Trump believes that words project power, as naming the defence department signals a passive image, while the Department of War signals a more powerful and aggressive image.
The renaming "conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve", the White House document said. The US Department of Defence was called the War Department until 1947, when Congress consolidated the Army, Navy and Air Force after World War II.
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