Trump wants his ‘Department of War’

The term “defense” in the name of the Department of Defense seems to strongly bother the President, who has stated that he wants to change the name completely, believing it to be “too defensive”.

Trump hints he will likely change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War. “I don’t want to be defense only,” the president said. “We want offense too.”

— Politico (@politico.com) 2025-08-25T19:05:48.848Z

He said he wanted the department to revert to its former name, Department of War, abandoned in 1949 when the US armed forces were reorganized after the Second World War.

At the time, the change was aimed at adopting a unified, less aggressive approach, focused on national security in both peace and war.

Trump’s recent comments raise many questions about his future intentions, as he claims he no longer wants to be “too defensive”, while many point to his recent attacks on the sovereignty of certain allied countries.

Let’s recall that last March, Trump asserted that the United States would “go as far as necessary to take control of Greenland”, underlining its importance for national and international security.

Most recently, his administration has been accused of espionage and political interference in Greenland. It’s also worth recalling his threats towards Canada, mentioned as a possible 51ᵉ state, remarks for the time being deemed somewhat less aggressive than those aimed at Greenland.

Trump claimed that the change could be made in a week or a little more and that he doesn’t even think he needs congressional approval, declaring, “We’re just going to do it.”