From the Gulf of Mexico to the Pentagon: the names Donald Trump has changed in his second term

On Friday, President Trump is expected to announce a second name for the Department of Defense: the Department of War.

The president doesn’t have the authority to change the name officially—Congress would need to approve it. And with many in his MAGA movement identifying as isolationist and wary of foreign entanglements, he may not have the necessary support to make the change permanent.

The Department of Defense was renamed from the Department of War by President Truman in 1947, when all branches of the military were unified under one agency. Trump has expressed interest in reverting to the original name, arguing that when the U.S. had a Department of War, “we won everything.”

While hosting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Trump hinted that the name change was coming.

“Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was the Department of War. Then we changed it to Department of Defense,” he said during their Oval Office meeting. “I don’t want to be defense only,” Trump added. “We want offense too.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been campaigning for the change, which would effectively make him the Secretary of War. During NATO meetings earlier this summer, Hegseth claimed political correctness was behind the original name change. The assertion completely overlooks how leaders may have viewed the role of the US military in the post-war era, after both World Wars had seen millions of soldiers and civilians killed.

The name change also comes at a peculiar time, considering that President Trump and many of his followers around the world have been campaigning for the Nobel committee to grant him the Nobel Peace Prize.

Other name changes under the Trump administration

The proposed rebranding of the DoD isn’t the only name change Trump has made since taking office. One of his first actions was to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, penalizing news outlets that refused to update their style guides.

He also re-renamed Mount McKinley, which had been changed to Denali by President Obama in recognition of its traditional Indigenous name. Trump has often praised President William McKinley, citing his use of tariffs as a model.

In February, the name of Fort Liberty was reverted to Fort Bragg, though exactly who the base memorializes did change. The well-known military base in North Carolina was renamed Fort Liberty in 2023 amid ongoing debates over the naming conventions that honored Confederate figures. Previously, Fort Bragg was named after Confederate General Braxton Bragg. The Biden administration changed the name to Fort Liberty, but in February, the Trump administration reverted it back to Fort Bragg, this time recognizing Ronald L. Bragg, a paratrooper who served in World War II.

One change that many might not be familiar with, but have undoubtedly heard since the presidnet took office is Doge, the Department of Government Officiency (DOGE), which was established by renaming the US Digital Services. Presidnet Obama established the US Digital Services with the mandate of improving digital services and federal web domains.

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