Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Friday renaming the US Department of Defense as the Department of War, according to a White House official, as the president seeks to project American military strength.
The order will direct that Department of War be made a secondary title for the defence department while the administration pursues a formal name change, which requires congressional approval.
“The United States military is the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world, and the President believes this Department should have a name that reflects its unmatched power and readiness to protect national interests,” the White House said in a factsheet.