War of words? Trump hints at changing name of Defense Department
President Donald Trump suggested changing the name of Defense Department back to its pre-World War II moniker as the War Department, after the success in bombing Iran's nuclear facilities.
'You know it used to be called secretary of war,' Trump told reporters June 25 at the conclusion of a NATO meeting in the Netherlands. 'Maybe for a couple of weeks we'll call it that because we feel like warriors.'
Trump's comment came after describing the U.S. military bombing missions against Iran on June 21. He talked about B-2 stealth bombers flying for 36 hours roundtrip from a base in Missouri and hitting targets 'perfectly' at night without the benefit of moonlight
More: Trump says US, Iranian officials to hold talks after bombing of nuclear sites
'I think we had a great victory here,' Trump said.
Trump then introduced Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth as 'secretary of state and secretary of war.' Trump said the name of the War Department, the precursor to the Defense Department, was visible on the wall of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House, where the agency was once housed.
'Then we became politically correct and they called it secretary of Defense,' Trump said. 'Maybe we'll have to think about changing it. But we feel that way.'
The country had a War Department since its founding until the aftermath of World War II, when the departments of Army, Navy and Air Force were each given Cabinet status. But in 1949, Congress consolidated those organizations into the Defense Department.
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