The United States government is moving forward with its plans to change the name of the Department of Defense. One of the White House officials confirmed to the Wall Street Journal on Saturday night that President Donald Trump wants the ministry to be renamed "Department of War," a nomenclature last used in 1947.
Restoring that name for the largest department in the government would probably require congressional approval, although the White House is exploring alternative methods to implement the change, the report says.
In this regard, the Republican caucus has already expressed its support for the presidential initiative if the name change comes to Congress as a bill. Florida Representative Greg Steube introduced an amendment to the annual defense policy bill to effectively rename the defense portfolio.
'Ministerio de guerra': Trump avanza en su plan para renombrar al Pentágono
The White House is not providing details, but confirms its intention.
"As President Trump said, our armed forces must focus on offense, not just defense. That's why he has prioritized Pentagon fighters over diversity, equity, inclusion, and progressive ideology. Stay tuned!" said presidential spokesperson Anne Kelly when asked about the potential name change.
Last Monday, the president confirmed his plans to reporters in the Oval Office. "It used to be called the Department of War and it had a stronger sound. We want defense, but also offense. As the Department of War we won everything, we won everything, and I think we'll have to go back to that," Trump said.
The National Security Act of 1947, which unified the Army, Navy, and Air Force under a single organization called the National Military Establishment, also turned the Department of War into the Department of Defense through a gradual process that culminated with a law passed in 1949, with that nomenclature remaining in effect to this day.
The renaming of the Pentagon is part of a reform strategy promoted by Trump and Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, which seeks to give the armed forces a more aggressive image and restore the prestige they lost due to the Biden administration's policies.
'Ministerio de guerra': Trump avanza en su plan para renombrar al Pentágono
