In a provocative statement following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, President Donald Trump has suggested that the Department of Defense should be renamed the “War Department,” a nod to its original title prior to World War II.
Speaking on June 25 at the conclusion of a NATO meeting in the Netherlands, Trump reflected on what he described as a “great victory” in the recent bombing campaign, carried out by B-2 stealth bombers targeting Iranian nuclear sites on June 21. The mission involved 36-hour roundtrip flights from Missouri, which Trump praised as “perfectly executed,” even without moonlight.
“You know it used to be called secretary of war,” Trump told reporters. “Maybe for a couple of weeks we’ll call it that because we feel like warriors.”
He further emphasized his stance by introducing Senator Marco Rubio and commentator Pete Hegseth as “secretary of state and secretary of war,” respectively. Trump pointed out that the name “War Department” remains etched into the stonework of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, historically the seat of the department prior to its reorganization.
“Then we became politically correct and they called it secretary of Defense,” he said. “Maybe we’ll have to think about changing it. But we feel that way.”
The Department of War was originally established in 1789 and remained in place until the aftermath of World War II. In 1947, the National Security Act created the Department of Defense by combining the War Department with the Navy Department, formally consolidating the military services. By 1949, the Army, Navy, and the newly created Air Force were brought under one umbrella, officially known as the Department of Defense.
While Trump’s suggestion appeared to be made partly in jest, it reflects his ongoing pushback against what he views as excessive political correctness in government institutions and language.
The comment arrives at a sensitive time, as tensions with Iran escalate and questions mount over the future of U.S. military engagement in the region. Trump also indicated that U.S. and Iranian officials could enter negotiations following the strikes—a potential shift in tone amid continued military pressure.