Overview

• Under the directive, officials may use titles such as secretary of war in correspondence, public communications and ceremonies, and executive agencies are asked to adopt the styling in their communications.
• Trump framed the move as projecting strength, while Hegseth said it aims to restore a warrior ethos and shift doctrine toward fighting decisively to win.
• A permanent renaming remains uncertain because the department’s statutory title is set by Congress, and analysts warn that a full rebrand would entail significant logistical and budget costs.
• Early steps were reported within hours, including updated signage and website changes, with defense.gov redirecting to war.gov according to press accounts.
• Political reaction is split, with Republicans such as Mike Lee, Rick Scott and Greg Steube pledging legislation to formalize the change, and Democrats including Tammy Duckworth criticizing the move as politically driven.