Key Points

After signing the order on Friday, Trump said the Department of War is a "much more" appropriate name, especially in the current security environment.

"We won the First World War, we won the Second World War. We have the strongest military in the world, greatest equipment in the world. We are the greatest manufacturers of equipment, by far," he added.

He asserted that the name change sends a message of "victory" and "strength" globally.

"We are very strong. We are much stronger than anyone would really understand," he added.

He once again repeated his claim that he ended seven global wars.

"I've gotten peace because of the fact that we are strong. They happened for two reasons: trade and our strength. Those are the two reasons. And probably strength may be more important than trade," he noted.

Standing alongside Trump, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the announcement is about "restoring the warrior ethos".

"The War Department's going to fight decisively, not endless conflicts. It's going to fight to win, not to lose. We're gonna go on offence, not just on defence. We're going to raise up warriors, not just defenders," he added.

Under federal law, Trump cannot change the name unilaterally and must have approval from the Congress.

On the question of whether he will seek the lawmakers' approval, Trump said, "He'll put it before Congress."

"We're signing an executive order today, but we're going to find out. Let me see if they do. We're going with it, and we're going with it very strongly. We'll put it before Congress," the US President added.

The Department of War was established in 1789 to oversee military affairs.

It retained that name until 1947, when the National Security Act under President Harry Truman reorganised the military, separating the Army and Air Force and merging them with the Navy into a unified structure.

In 1949, Congress renamed it the Department of Defence to reflect a post–World War II focus on national security and deterrence.

- IANS