WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump signaled on August 25 that he might soon rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, even as he underscores his role in brokering international ceasefires and peace initiatives and openly hankers for a Nobel Peace Prize.

During a meeting with South Korea’s president, Trump said, “You know, we call it the Department of Defense, but between us, I think we’re going to change the name. You want to know the truth, I think we’re going to have some information on that maybe soon.”

The Department of War was established by George Washington in 1789 and remained under that name until 1947, when President Harry Truman reorganized it. It was officially renamed the Department of Defense in 1949. Trump has previously referred to Fox News host and in the cabinet Pete Hegseth as “Secretary of War” instead of “Secretary of Defense.”

He pointed to U.S. victories in World War I and World War II, when the agency was historically known as the Department of War. “Defense is a part of that. But I have a feeling we’re going to be changing. Everybody likes that. We had an unbelievable history of victory when it was the Department of War,” Trump added.

At the same time, Trump has highlighted his diplomatic efforts – which every American president has been engaged in since World War II, with many being conducted quietly – and often talked about how he has resolved conflicts, including between India and Pakistan, for which he has received serious pushback from the Modi government.

While Trump supporters want the Nobel Peace Prize for him for international efforts, House Speaker Mike Johnson has even linked it to Trump’s anti-crime deployment of troops in Washington, D.C.

with India-West News Desk