Overview

• Administration officials confirmed they are moving forward with a proposal to restore the historic Department of War name, first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
• President Trump said the change could be announced "over the next week or so" and suggested he would proceed, expressing confidence that Congress would support it if needed.
• Because executive departments are established by statute, a legal name change typically requires an act of Congress, and Rep. Greg Steube has filed an amendment to the annual defense policy bill.
• Pentagon staff previously drafted legislative ideas, including seeking authority to reinstate the name during a national emergency and reviving the title "Secretary of War."
• The White House frames the effort as emphasizing offensive warfighting priorities, paired with broader Pentagon shifts such as DEI rollbacks and restrictions on transgender service.