Trump executive order will rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press WASHINGTON AP President Donald Trump is set to issue an executive order on Friday renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War a long-telegraphed move aimed at projecting America s military around the globe Related Articles Trump administration investigates Medicaid spending on immigrants in Colorado and other Democratic states Trump will seek Department of War rebrand for Pentagon Joe Biden undergoes surgery to remove skin cancer on forehead DC lawsuit challenges Trump s National Guard deployment as a forced military occupation Trump asks Supreme Court to hurriedly take up tariffs occurrence and reverse ruling finding them illegal It comes as several of Trump s closest supporters on Capitol Hill proposed law that would codify the new name into law with Congress having the sole power to establish shutter and rename federal departments Absent a change in law Trump will authorize the Pentagon to use secondary titles From until the end of World War II the United States military fought under the banner of the Department of War Florida Republican Rep Greg Steube an Army veteran commented in a message It is only fitting that we pay tribute to their eternal example and renowned commitment to lethality by restoring the name of the Department of War to our Armed Forces Sens Rick Scott R-Fla and Mike Lee R-Utah are introducing companion rule in the Senate The Department of War was created in and was renamed in two years after the end of World War II Trump has revealed he wants to change the name back to the Department of War because it just sounded better The Republican president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have long talked about changing the name with Hegseth creating a social media poll on the topic in March Since then Hegseth has hinted that his title as defense secretary may not be permanent at multiple citizens events including a speech at Fort Benning Georgia on Thursday He recounted an auditorium full of soldiers that it may be a slightly different title the following day In August Trump explained reporters that everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of accomplishment when it was Department of War Then we changed it to Department of Defense When confronted with the possibility that making the name change would require an act of Congress Trump described reporters that we re just going to do it I m sure Congress will go along he commented if we need that Associated Press writer Matt Brown contributed to this account Follow the AP s coverage of the U S Department of Defense at https apnews com hub us-department-of-defense