Trump Renamed the Department of Defense to the Department of War, But It Did Not Legally Happen

US President Donald Trump has renamed the Department of Defense (equivalent to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense) to the Department of War.

The video with the signing was published on the official page on X and an official release was issued on the department’s website.

However, according to POLITICO reporter Paul McLeary, this did not legally happen and the name remained the same.

“According to the White House, legally it is still the Department of Defense. The Department of War is a ‘second name’. That is, it’s a pseudonym,” he wrote on his X page.

Original post:

Per the White House – legally it is still the Department of Defense. The Department of War is a “secondary title.”

So, it’s a nickname. pic.twitter.com/QAKZemXEBs

— Paul McLeary (@paulmcleary) September 5, 2025

According to a fact sheet published by the White House, this order is the 200th signed by Trump since taking office.

It is noted that it was a return to the historical name that had existed until the end of World War II.

“Under the original Department of War, the United States won military victories in both world wars; however, the victories turned into longer conflicts that often resulted in a ‘draw of sorts’ after the Department of War was renamed the Department of Defense,” Trump said during the signing.

The Department of War was first established by Congress on August 7th, 1789, the same year the U.S. Constitution came into force. It replaced the Board of War and Ordnance, which was created in 1776 during the War of Independence.

The name ‘Department of War’ remained unchanged for over 150 years until it was merged with the Department of the Navy and the newly created Department of the Air Force to become the National Military Establishment following the passage of the National Security Act of 1947.