Trump Admin Considers Renaming Defense Dept to Department of War

The Trump administration is moving forward with plans to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War, administration officials and lawmakers said after the president raised the idea this week, a change that would mark a striking rebranding of the Pentagon and would likely require congressional action. A White House official told a report published Saturday that the administration is exploring options to implement the change, while Republican Representative Greg Steube of Florida has filed an amendment to the annual defense policy bill proposing the new name.

President Donald Trump first raised the prospect during remarks in the Oval Office on Monday, saying the older name "just sounded to me better" and asserting that "as Department of War we won everything." He added that the U.S. military should emphasize offense as well as defense. The White House has offered mixed signals on timing. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt signaled an announcement was planned for Tuesday, while Trump has at times suggested the change could happen "over the next week or so." The White House has not provided a formal timeline and has not issued a legal rationale for how the change would be...