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Pete Hegseth’s official title will reportedly soon go from U.S. Secretary of Defense to Secretary of War, as President Donald Trump prepares to rebrand the Department of Defense.
According to The New York Times, Politico, and Fox News, citing a White House official, Trump will sign an executive order on Friday, Sept. 5, to change the Department of Defense’s name to the Department of War.
The Department of War was established in 1789 under President George Washington to oversee the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. In 1947, the National Security Act merged the Navy and War departments as well as the Air Force into the National Military Establishment, which became the Department of Defense in 1949.
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“The name ‘Department of War’ conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to ‘Department of Defense,’ which emphasizes only defensive capabilities,” the executive order will read, according to the BBC, which has seen the text of the document.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt seemingly confirmed reports about the name change by reposting Fox News’ story on X Thursday night. Hegseth, who recently renamed his Pentagon conference room the “W.A.R. Room,” also shared the Fox News story on X, writing, “DEPARTMENT OF WAR.”
In March, Hegseth hinted at the name change by asking his followers on X whether they’d prefer having a Department of Defense or Department of War. The majority voted for the latter.
Trump told reporters just a few days ago that Hegseth “has been incredible with the, as I call it, the Department of War.”
“You know we call it the Department of Defense, but between us, I think we’re going to change the name. You want to know the truth? I think we’re going to have some information on that, maybe soon,” he said.
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Renaming the department would require an act of Congress, as executive orders cannot override federal laws and statutes. The responsibility of creating executive departments also rests with Congress.
While the executive order cannot alter a department’s official name, it would direct the use of secondary titles such as “Secretary of War” and “Deputy Secretary of War” in official correspondence and other communications.
The order will instruct Hegseth to recommend legislative and executive actions required to permanently rename the Defense Department the U.S. Department of War, per Axios.
According to Politico, citing a person familiar with the executive order, the White House is looking for other alternatives that would avoid a vote.
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PEOPLE has reached out to the White House for comment.
