According to six sources familiar with the matter, the Trump administration’s push to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War could incur costs estimated at $2 billion.
The proposed name change is currently secondary to the original title, as official changes require Congressional approval. Following an executive order signed by Trump, the Pentagon made immediate modifications to its social media handles and website URL to reflect the new name. Consequently, a sign outside the office of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth now identifies it as “The Office of the Secretary of War.”
Details of the Name Change
The executive order also mandated that all executive branch departments utilize the Department of War title in both internal and external communications. The order asserted that the name “Department of War” signifies a commitment to peace through strength and demonstrates the nation’s readiness to engage in conflict if necessary.
Implementing a full name change would necessitate substantial labor, as thousands of signs, letterhead, and plaques currently display the title “Department of Defense” around the globe.
Cost Implications and Legislative Efforts
The expert sources, which include two senior Republican and two senior Democratic congressional staffers among others, indicated that significant costs would arise from rewriting code for department websites and software across classified and unclassified systems.
It was noted that changing the department’s signage and letterhead alone could amount to $1 billion. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has not undertaken substantial efforts to advance legislation in Congress for an official name change.
In September, a group of Senate Democrats addressed the Congressional Budget Office, requesting a cost assessment for the proposed name change, criticizing the new title as potentially causing confusion and unnecessary expenses.
Critics pointed out that, despite the administration’s emphasis on fiscal restraint, the renaming effort appeared to prioritize political symbolism over responsible governance, diverting resources from essential national security functions.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell attributed the absence of complete cost information to a “Democrat shutdown,” stating that the Department of War was moving forward with the name change as directed by President Trump.
Parnell added that a final cost estimate has not yet been determined due to the furlough of critical personnel from the Democrat shutdown, emphasizing that the name change is a reflection of the Department’s core mission: to win wars.
