WASHINGTON – In a symbolic gesture underscoring the Trump administration's aggressive pivot toward a more militaristic posture, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth personally affixed a new bronze "Department of War" plaque at the Pentagon's River Entrance on Thursday, November 13, 2025. The 27-kilogram plaque, gleaming under the afternoon sun, replaces a decades-old sign that bore the department's current name, marking the latest step in a rebranding effort that has sparked fierce debate over its implications for American foreign policy and national identity.
The installation ceremony, captured in a widely shared video on the department's official X account, showed Hegseth—dressed in a crisp suit and wielding a screwdriver—tightening the final screws himself. "We wanted to replace [the old signs] because we want everybody who comes through this door to know that we are deadly serious about the name change of this organization," Hegseth declared in the footage, his voice steady as he stepped back to admire the result. The plaque's inscription, etched in bold capital letters, reads simply: "Department of War." The department's X post accompanying the video proclaimed, "Welcome to the War Department," garnering over 500,000 views and thousands of reactions within hours.
This hands-on act by Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran nominated by President Donald Trump for the role, comes nearly two months after Trump signed Executive Order 140XX on September 5, 2025, directing the Department of Defense (DoD) to adopt "Department of War" as its secondary title. The order, signed in a televised Oval Office ceremony flanked by Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, authorizes the use of wartime nomenclature in official correspondence, public communications, and ceremonial contexts, while instructing the secretary to propose legislative changes for a permanent rename. Trump, beaming as he brandished the document for cameras, described the move as a return to "victory and strength." "I think it sends a message of victory. I think it sends a message of strength, very strong, much stronger than anyone would really understand," he told reporters gathered in the Rose Garden shortly after. He added that the rebrand embodies an "America First" ethos, prioritizing "maximum lethality" over what he derided as the previous administration's "woke" focus on political correctness.
The historical roots of this nomenclature run deep. Established by the first US Congress in 1789 under Secretary of War Henry Knox—barely 13 years after the Declaration of Independence—the Department of War oversaw the nascent nation's military affairs through pivotal conflicts like the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, and both World Wars. It was a cornerstone of George Washington's vision for a republic capable of defending its sovereignty against foreign threats. However, in the shadow of World War II's devastation, which claimed over 400,000 American lives and reshaped global alliances, President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947. This legislation merged the War and Navy Departments into the National Military Establishment, renamed the Department of Defense in 1949, to emphasize peacetime deterrence and unified command over warfighting. The shift reflected a postwar consensus: war should be the last resort, not the defining mission. As Truman noted in his signing statement, the new structure aimed to "provide the military forces we need for security without militarizing our country."
Trump's executive order, his 200th since returning to office in January 2025, sidesteps Congress's constitutional authority under Article I, Section 8 to "make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper" for establishing federal agencies. While it enables immediate symbolic changes—like redirecting defense.gov to war.gov and updating Hegseth's office door to "Secretary of War"—experts argue a full rename requires congressional approval via statute. "The president can rebrand for optics, but he can't rewrite the law," said constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky in a recent NPR analysis. Hegseth has vowed to submit recommendations to Congress within 60 days, as mandated by the order, potentially teeing up a legislative battle in the Republican-controlled House and Senate.
The rebrand's financial toll has drawn sharp scrutiny. Early estimates from congressional staffers and Pentagon insiders peg the transition costs at up to $2 billion, covering everything from 27-kg plaques at the Pentagon's five entrances to global signage updates, website overhauls, and revisions to classified systems. "Simply replacing signs, badges, and letterheads worldwide could cost around $1 billion," one anonymous Senate aide told NBC News, highlighting the irony amid Trump's pledges to slash federal spending. Critics, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), have blasted it as a "cringey stunt" diverting funds from troop readiness and veteran services. Even some Republicans, like Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), have voiced reservations, warning that "glorifying war" in a nuclear age risks escalation over diplomacy.
Proponents, however, frame the change as a morale booster and strategic signal. Hegseth, in a September address to military leaders, invoked the "warrior ethos" of America's founding, arguing the old name fosters "tepid legality" over "violent effect." The timing aligns with Trump's broader military reforms: increased lethality training, base renaming to honor Confederate figures (reversing Biden-era changes), and escalated operations against drug cartels in Latin America under "Operation Southern Spear." "We're going to raise up warriors, not just defenders," Hegseth said during the executive order signing, echoing Trump's campaign rhetoric on "ending endless wars" by winning them decisively.
Public reaction has been polarized. On X, the video of Hegseth's installation trended under #WarDepartment, with supporters hailing it as a "bold return to strength" and detractors mocking it as "handyman theater" amid ballooning deficits. Veterans' groups like the VFW expressed mixed views, praising the nod to history but urging focus on benefits over branding. Internationally, allies like NATO partners have raised eyebrows, with UK Defense Secretary John Healey telling Reuters the move could "embolden adversaries" in tense regions like the South China Sea and Eastern Europe.
As the plaque gleams at the Pentagon's threshold—once the world's largest office building, now a fortress of renewed wartime rhetoric—the rebrand raises profound questions. Does it herald an era of unapologetic power projection, or a dangerous nostalgia that blurs defense with aggression? With Congress's next session looming, the battle over the name may foreshadow deeper clashes over America's role in a volatile world. For now, Hegseth's screwdriver has tightened more than screws—it's a bolt in the door to a redefined military identity.
