Trump to rename Pentagon, restoring historic ‘Department of War’ in latest military move

FIRST ON FOX President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Friday to alter the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War reverting to the agency s former namesake Fox News Digital has learned Both Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth lately have indicated that they want to change the name of the agency It is one of several initiatives the Trump administration has spearheaded as part of its warrior ethos campaign within the Pentagon A White House official validated to Fox News Digital Thursday that Trump would roll out the name change Friday The executive order calls for using the Department of War as a secondary title for the Department of Defense along with terms like the Secretary of War for Hegseth according to a White House fact sheet The order also instructs Hegseth to propose both legislative and executive actions to make the name change permanent TRUMP ANNOUNCES HE IS 'RESTORING' THE NAMES OF SEVERAL BASES CHANGED UNDER BIDENLikewise implementing the order will require modifications to public-facing websites and office signage at the Pentagon including renaming the citizens affairs briefing room the Pentagon War Annex according to a White House official Other longer-term implementation projects are also in the works the official mentioned Trump signaled in latest days the change was imminent Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of achievement when it was Department of War Trump stated reporters on Aug Then we changed it to Department of Defense Hegseth who Trump has already referred to on occasion as the Secretary of War also expressed similar sentiments and noted the change would reflect a broader cultural shift within the Pentagon WHITE HOUSE ADVANCES PLAN FOR DEPARTMENT OF WAR AS TRUMP LOOKS TO RESTORE HISTORICAL MILITARY TITLE We won WWI and we won WWII not with the Department of Defense but with a War Department with the Department of War As the president has explained we're not just defense we're offense Hegseth reported in an interview with Fox Friends on Wednesday We're reestablished at the Department the warrior ethos We want warriors folks that understand how to exact lethality on the enemy We don't want endless contingencies and just playing defense We think words and names and titles matter So we're working with the White House and the president on it Stand by The U S employed the Department of War title for its military agency up until when it was renamed the Department of Defense in accordance with a series of massive reforms included in the National Prevention Act of HEGSETH VOWS TO RESTORE WARRIOR MENTALITY AND RAISE STANDARDS IN SWEEPING MILITARY TRANSFORMATIONIt s unclear if Congress which has the authority to establish federal executive departments will need to step in to issue final approval on the move However Trump has previously voiced confidence that he doesn't need approval from lawmakers and that they will get on board if necessary We're just going to do it Trump narrated reporters on Aug I'm sure Congress will go along if we need that I don't think we even need that The executive order changing the name of the Department of Defense is the th order Trump has signed in his second term Fox News' Morgan Phillips contributed to this overview