Trump’s decision to rename the Department of Defense could cost more than expected
The President signed an executive order about the name change back in September.
Jan. 15 2026, Published 4:24 a.m. ET
As a tax-paying American citizen, you’d want your tax dollars to be used for the development of the nation, but it seems like President Donald Trump may have other plans. Last year, he signed an executive order that authorized the Department of War as a secondary title for the Pentagon. However, as it turns out, changing the name of the department could cost up to a whopping $125 million.
This money, of course, comes out of your pocket as an American citizen. Trump believes that the ‘Department of War’ will bring about a change in how the world views the United States as a force to be reckoned with. He's also of the opinion that the ‘Department of Defense’ was a “woke” name. At the time, government officials were unable to give a cost estimate for the name change as they expected prices to escalate.
Recently, as per a report in ABC News, the Congressional Budget Office said that the name change would cost at least a few million dollars if the new name had minimal implementation. However, if the name change had to be broadly and rapidly implemented throughout the Pentagon, it could cost up to $125 million, which would come straight out of the pocket of taxpayers, most of whom are already strapped for cash.
Some inside the President’s inner circle have already begun implementing and popularizing the new name, one of whom is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. As per the report, he removed the large gold letters that spelled “Secretary of Defense” outside his office and replaced the sign on his door to read “Secretary of War.” The related website also went from “defense.gov” to “war.gov" the same day the order was signed.
As per the Congressional Budget Office, the name change could cost upto $10 million if it were implemented modestly. But, knowing the kind of man Trump is, he’d want the name change to be implemented as thoroughly as possible. “A statutory renaming could cost hundreds of millions of dollars,” the Budget Office warned. Still, Trump's signing a piece of paper was never going to be enough for a formal name change.
The decision ultimately rests with Congress, as it is the only body that can formally approve a new name or change the name of a federal agency. So far, it has shown no interest in even entertaining the idea, and Trump has remained content with using the new name as a 'secondary title' for the department.
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