White House moves forward on plans for a Department of War, WSJ Reports [View all]

Source: Reuters

August 30, 2025 6:38 PM EDT Updated 1 hour ago


WASHINGTON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is advancing plans to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing a White House official, after U.S. President Donald Trump raised the prospect on Monday.

Restoring the Department of War name for the government's largest department would likely require congressional action, but the White House is exploring alternative methods to implement the change, the report said. Republican Representative Greg Steube of Florida filed an amendment to the annual defense policy bill that would change the name of the department, indicating some Republican support in Congress for the change.

The White House gave no details, but underscored Trump's comments this week emphasizing the U.S. military's offensive capabilities. “As President Trump said, our military should be focused on offense – not just defense – which is why he has prioritized warfighters at the Pentagon instead of DEI and woke ideology. Stay tuned!” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly, using the initials DEI to refer to programs aimed at increasing diversity, equity and inclusion.

Trump raised the idea of rebranding the Defense Department as the "Department of War" while speaking with reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, saying it "just sounded to me better."

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-moves-forward-plans-department-war-wsj-reports-2025-08-30/