Overview

• President Trump said at Oval Office events that he expects to announce the change "over the next week or so" and argued the current name is "too defensive."
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the rebrand "coming soon" and has promoted restoring a "warrior ethos," including a March social media poll favoring the old name.
• Multiple outlets report the department’s name is set by statute dating to the National Security Act, making congressional action likely necessary for any official change.
• The Pentagon referred questions to the White House, and Sen. Mike Lee said he would introduce legislation to codify the rename.
• The historical War Department existed from 1789 until post–World War II reorganization, with Congress naming the modern Department of Defense in 1949.