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36. MaddowBlog-Trump wants to rebrand the Defense Department as the 'Department of War'

Fri Sep 5, 2025, 05:16 PM

Sep 5

The president insisted that he and his team were “gonna change the name” of the Defense Department. As it turns out, that isn’t quite right.

Trump wants to rebrand the Defense Department as the â€˜Department of Warâ€™
The president insisted that he and his team were â€œgonna change the nameâ€ of the Defense Department. As it turns out, that isnâ€™t quite right.

www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
— (@midnightsun49.bsky.social) 2025-09-05T17:20:31.892Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-wants-rebrand-defense-department-department-war-rcna229303

It would be far more accurate to say that Trump likes to pretend he’s good at branding, and that leads him in some unfortunate directions. NBC News reported on Trump’s upcoming executive order to add “Department of War” as the secondary title of the Defense Department:

The order, which Trump is expected to sign in the Oval Office, won’t rename the Defense Department, but it will authorize Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use secondary titles like ‘secretary of war’ and ‘Department of War’ in official correspondence and public communications and during formal ceremonies, according to a White House preview of the order. Trump will require all executive departments and agencies to ‘recognize and accommodate these secondary titles in internal and external communications.’

......At a White House event last week, a reporter reminded the president that it would require an act of Congress to rename a Cabinet agency. He replied, “We’re just gonna do it.”

The comment now makes more sense: Trump isn’t renaming the department; he’s wrapping a new skin around it like a cheap sedan.

We’ve been headed down this path for much of the year. The first hint came in March, when the president published an item to his social media platform that referred in passing to the Pentagon as “the Department of War.” A few months later, he reiterated his interest in the change and even referred to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth as the “secretary of war.”.....

On the other hand, Trump has also destabilized international alliances and institutions, announced plans to acquire countries that don’t appear to have any interest in joining the United States, launched a preemptive strike against Iran, militarized his own country’s capital, mused about launching military strikes against targets in Mexico and Central America, boasted about a military strike against a civilian boat in international waters and is now rebranding the Pentagon — because “we want offense, too.”

If he’s still angling to get that Nobel, he might want to lower his expectations.

trump knows that he does not have votes in congress to officially change the name and so is playing a game here

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Trump to sign executive order renaming Pentagon the Department of War [View all] BumRushDaShow Sep 4 OP

The halcyon days of yesteryear in that demented mind. bucolic_frolic Sep 4 #1

Sure is a strange way to lobby for the Nobel Peace Prize Zorro Sep 4 #2

He's going to rename the prize too Farmer-Rick Sep 5 #24

Remember What Bush 43 Did to the Navy? eringer Sep 4 #3

He did that to all four services jmowreader Sep 5 #33

Well, let's face it, "Department of War" was always the more honest name. malthaussen Sep 4 #4

I thought they might call it the Department of Peace in honor of Trumps Prize milestogo Sep 4 #5

Tough guy eh. What happened to the loser/sucker talk. twodogsbarking Sep 4 #6

He knows nothing about war since he was a draft dodger with his phony "bone spurs" diagnosis. llmart Sep 4 #9

Surprised it's not the Donald and Melania Trump Awesome Department of Bigly War. nt wiggs Sep 4 #7

He really wanted to name it ... DBoon Sep 4 #8

It's just a rebranding for merchandising purposes. bluedigger Sep 4 #10

GFLWT, Caligula. GB_RN Sep 4 #11

Trump Needs An Emergency To Take To The Supreme Court DallasNE Sep 4 #12

Next executive order - America becomes Trumpmanistan! Aussie105 Sep 4 #13

Isn't it that already? HarryM Sep 5 #32

Excuse me . . . AverageOldGuy Sep 4 #14

Bullseye orangecrush Sep 5 #27

What do you mean, never promoted above major? jmowreader Sep 5 #34

I am truly terrified of the times that we are living in right now. I feel like I am sitting on a timebomb patricia92243 Sep 5 #15

We are. Kath2 Sep 6 #40

Ha, the name USED to be Department of War. And appropriations were more restrained. summer_in_TX Sep 5 #16

I guess you can't really call it the Department of Defense with a straight face when... LudwigPastorius Sep 5 #17

or blow up small motorboats with cruise missles Captain Zero Sep 5 #20

Fits in with his attack on the small boat. Old Crank Sep 5 #18

It's really the Department of Epstein Distraction Name Changing Department. Epstein who? He fetched me covfefe once.nt Bernardo de La Paz Sep 5 #19

just gives him an excuse he wants to start another war. nt Javaman Sep 5 #21

We are a banana republic being led by a bunch of loons. mdbl Sep 5 #22

The Pentagon is NOT the name. Farmer-Rick Sep 5 #23

The worst thing is the drunk Defense Secretary post in all caps like a hyperactive 8 year old muriel_volestrangler Sep 5 #25

If any of the media and their kacekwl Sep 5 #26

Way to make the country even greater an international laughingstock there, TACO. greatauntoftriplets Sep 5 #28

He thinks that he is not leaving the white house orangecrush Sep 5 #29

Think how much this is going to cost displacedvermoter Sep 5 #30

It's a nightmare BumRushDaShow Sep 5 #31

Three questions jmowreader Sep 5 #35

MaddowBlog-Trump wants to rebrand the Defense Department as the 'Department of War' LetMyPeopleVote Sep 5 #36

Update: it turns out the new name (Department of War) is actually a nickname as it's a "secondary title" lol LetMyPeopleVote Sep 5 #37

He can't do that. It's against the law. Who will stop him? BigmanPigman Sep 5 #38

We are going back to the early 20th century. The Third Doctor Sep 6 #39

With Pete there, it should be named the "Department of Jim Beam." Vinca Sep 6 #41

It is still the Department of Defense LetMyPeopleVote Sep 7 #42