President Trump signed an executive order on Friday, restoring the original title of the Department of Defense: the Department of War.

It is a symbolic but historic gesture, one which signals a return to the martial spirit of the nation's Founding.

The Department of War was known by that name from its establishment in 1789 under George Washington until 1947, when it was rebranded after the end of World War II, America's last major military victory.

Trump's executive order still requires an act of Congress to make it official. But it allows Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to use "Department of War" and "Secretary of War" as secondary titles, for now.

"I think it's a much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now. We have the strongest military in the world. We have the greatest equipment in the world. We have the greatest manufacturers of equipment by far. There's nobody to even compete," Trump said in the Oval Office.

The Department of War

Trump says the original, more vigorous name honors the nation better, and more appropriately reflects what the military does.

Some anti-war advocates might even agree with Trump's view that the "Department of War" is more transparent.

Trump has long criticized political correctness and what he sees as the weakening of America's spirit, often lamenting that America has stopped "winning" in recent years.

"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. So we're going Department of War," Trump said at the signing Friday.

Bringing strength back

The renaming push follows years of struggles at the Pentagon, which many argue has become overly bureaucratic, bloated, and unfocused in its goals.

Secretary Hegseth has prioritized restoring lethality and the "warrior ethos" after years of "wokeness."

"We're going to go on offense, not just on defense. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct," Hegseth said during the signing. "We're going to raise up warriors, not just defenders."

The White House says the "Department of War" places a stronger emphasis on national resolve and the readiness to wage war to defend America's interests.

That martial spirit was on full display this week when President Trump ordered a lethal strike targeting drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea, a controversial move that was praised by some as a bold use of force to protect Americans and criticized by others as a violation of international law.