Overview

• The Pentagon and White House have adopted the new branding in official websites and social accounts, with Pete Hegseth using the “Secretary of War” title and promoting a more aggressive posture.
• A Republican-led House Rules Committee declined to add a name-change provision to the NDAA, and Sen. Rand Paul said he will lead opposition in the Senate, signaling long odds for codifying the shift.
• Analysts and reports project costs from hundreds of millions to potentially billions to replace seals, signage, documents, and other materials across more than 700,000 Defense Department facilities.
• The administration’s recent lethal strike on an alleged Venezuelan smuggling vessel in international waters drew legal and oversight questions after officials dismissed concerns about potential war-crime implications.
• A White House post parodying Apocalypse Now and warning Chicago about deportations heightened criticism of the administration’s martial rhetoric and its potential geopolitical and domestic consequences.