After President Donald Trump announced a rebrand of the Department of Defense to rename it the Department of War, an NBC News report revealed that the potential cost could be up to $2 billion. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth teased the change on social media in September, confirming the rebrand to JS. The rename would require changing thousands of signs, placards, letterheads, and badges, with new letterheads and signage alone costing taxpayers $1 billion.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that the total cost for the change has yet to be determined, but the new name will be “permanent.” The Department of War had previously existed from 1789 to 1947, before being renamed the Department of Defense. Trump claimed it was renamed to “Defense” because “we became politically correct.”
In a Veterans Day speech, Trump announced the official renaming of the Department of Defense back to the original Department of War. Lawmakers have criticized the U.S. for lethal strikes against suspected drug smugglers, calling them “illegal” and “summary execution.”
Efforts to rename the Defense Department come amid Trump’s purported efforts to reduce spending, which includes cutting millions of Americans off Medicaid and gutting federal agencies. Senate Democrats have raised concerns about the cost of the name change, calling it wasteful and hypocritical.
Overall, the rebranding of the Department of Defense to the Department of War has sparked controversy and debate among lawmakers and the public.
