On Friday, former President Donald Trump’s executive order on race and sex stereotyping came into force. This executive order unambiguously renamed the Department of Defense to the Department of War. At a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump announced the decision. He framed this as a cosmetic name change—which it is—by promoting it as an overture to a wider shift away from what he’s branded “woke” ideologies in the military.
As for the name, this executive order mandates that all official White House communications use the term “Department of War.” It requires that every official public communication use this language. As a result, the title of the U.S. Secretary of Defense will be changed to Secretary of War. Trump explained this unusual decision as a necessary counter to what he described as a lack of American military successes in the last 30 years.
Shift in Military Ideology
This new maneuver by Trump could be seen as a sequel to his renaming spree. Beyond the budget, he has implemented other strategic moves since starting his second term. His administration made headlines when they courageously renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” They renamed one Army base in North Carolina from “Fort Liberty” back to its original Confederate-inspired moniker, “Fort Bragg.”
During the signing ceremony, Trump expressed his views on military history and ideology, stating, “So we won the first World War. We won the Second World War. We won everything before that and in between. And then we decided to go woke, and we changed the name to Department of Defense.” He doubled down on his previous assertion that the U.S. would have won more wars if it weren’t so politically correct.
The ex-VP’s administration is continuing the former president’s turn toward a more militarized response. Specifically, they are proudly executing the extrajudicial strikes against anyone they can label a “narco terrorist.” This approach treads closely in the footsteps of a lethal aerial strike. The strike hit a boat not carrying drugs but purportedly aiding those caught in the crosshairs, killing 11 people. As Trump noted, boat traffic in the Caribbean has plummeted since.
A New Offensive Strategy
And even Trump’s leading appointees have made clear their readiness to embrace a more war-forward approach. Pete Hegseth, a prominent figure in Trump’s administration, articulated this new direction, stating, “The War Department is going to fight decisively, not endless conflicts. It’s going to fight to win, not not to lose.” He added that this approach entails “maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct.”
This strategic pivot represents an ambitious departure from previous military policies. Today, the push is towards encouraging more diversity and inclusivity across the armed services. Boars Trump took credit for this about-face, at least in part, due to superstition. He even insinuated that it signals a yearning for greater military interventionism.
Beyond these changes, Trump has come under fire for his administration’s past name changes and policies. He stated, “Can you believe they changed that name in the last administration for a little bit? We’ll forget all about that, won’t we?” His comments signal a clear intention to distance his administration from previous efforts aimed at making the military more welcoming to diverse demographics.
Historical Context and Future Implications
Trump’s remarks during his tenure have often included reflections on historical military outcomes. He has lamented that the U.S. could have emerged victorious in numerous conflicts, claiming, “We could have won every war, but we really chose to be very politically correct or woke-y.” This somber sentiment encapsulates the specific priorities of his administration’s movement to redefine success in and engagement with the military.
Trump calls for a stronger military stance. The effects of renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War would be more far-reaching than mere semantics. With heightened rhetoric surrounding military strategies and operations, Trump’s administration aims to reshape public perception regarding America’s role in global conflicts.
