Individuals have expressed strong reactions following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s explanation of the Trump administration’s decision to rename the Pentagon after nearly eighty years.
On Friday, September 5, U.S. President Donald Trump, aged 79, signed his latest executive order, marking his 200th, which involved changing the Department of Defense (DoD) to ‘The Department of War’.
Trump stated, “We won World War I, we won World War II, we won everything before that and in between, and then we decided to go woke, and we changed the name to DoD. So, we’re going Department of War.”
In the Oval Office, Trump added, “I think it’s a much more appropriate name, in light of where the world is right now. It sends a message of victory.”
The President also mentioned that his administration knows “how to rebrand without having to go crazy.”
This change reinstates the name the agency, widely known as the Pentagon, last used in 1949, as reported by Sky News.
Historians note the name was originally altered to demonstrate the U.S.’s commitment to avoiding further conflicts after World War II.
Expressing his views on the renaming, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, 45, stated that the rebranded ‘War Department’ aims “to fight to win, not not to lose.”
He said, “We’re going to go on offense, not just on defense. Maximum lethality. Not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct. We’re gonna raise up warriors, not just defenders.”
Hegseth proclaimed, “Mr President, this War Department – just like America – is back.” He hopes the decision will “set the tone for the country.”
In a social media update, Hegseth wrote: “The motto of my first infantry platoon was: ‘Those who long for peace, must prepare for war.’ The War Department will be prepared—every day & in every way—to ensure our citizens live in peace. Peace through strength.”
According to a fact sheet, the executive order allows Hegseth to officially call himself ‘Secretary of War’ in all formal communications, as reported by Politico.
This change is already visible, with a viral 12-second video on X, formerly Twitter, showing a door plaque with his new title.
The fact sheet also mentions that the Department of War will act as a secondary name, potentially allowing Hegseth to implement the modification without needing legislative changes through Congress.
The actions of Trump and Hegseth have sparked widespread online debate, with experts and social media users weighing in.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, commented, “It is a very dangerous environment. For the president and the secretary of defense to spend time and energy [on a] distraction from what we need to do—to focus on the readiness of our troops who are serving—[is] nothing more than an effort to distract from other issues that are going on in the country,” as per Politico.
Democratic Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey criticized the renaming as childish, stating, “Americans want to prevent wars, not tout them.”
Meanwhile, one X user commented, “I’m a vet and strong supporter of you and this administration. I do not like the change. Makes it seem we are in business for the sake of war. I do not like war. Been there. Do not recommend.”
Another user joked, “Secretary of Defense to Secretary of War? Let’s go improve them all. Treasury Secretary → Master of Coin. National Security Advisor → Lord of Whispers. Secretary of the Navy → Master of Ships. Attorney General → Keeper of Justice.”
One person remarked, “Kind of scary, are we preparing for the War??”
Another added, “Something tells me that they were prepared for this change.”
The Pentagon’s website was updated to war.gov late on Friday, displaying the title ‘U.S. Department of War’.