GOP Senator Leads Pushback Against Trump's 'Department of War' Rebrand

Source: Daily Beast

Published Sep. 9 2025 2:22PM EDT


Sen. Rand Paul promised to lead congressional opposition against any attempt the Trump administration makes to formally rename the Department of Defense the “Department of War.”

On Tuesday morning, the Kentucky Republican told CNN’s Manu Raju that he is against the name change. “I think it sends a bad signal to the world,” said Paul, 62. “In a world with nuclear weapons, I think glorifying war… is not something I’m in favor of.”

On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that gave the Department of Defense the secondary title of “Department of War.” Though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has boasted on social media about the new name, the change is largely an aesthetic one. It would take congressional approval to change the name of the Department of Defense, and Paul said he would lead opposition to the name change if the topic came to the Senate floor.

Paul’s criticism of the administration’s comes after he blasted Vice President JD Vance for telling a critic he “doesn’t give a s--t” about allegations the U.S. military committed a war crime for its strike on an alleged drug boat that killed 11 people.

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-senator-rand-paul-leads-pushback-against-trumps-department-of-war-rebrand/