Trump wants the department to regain the name it had before the 1940s and he believes that the current name is "too defensive". He adds that the US had an "incredible history of victories" under the previous name, and refers to the First and Second World War.
We want to be defensive, but we also want to be offensive if we have to, said the president on Monday in the Oval Office.
Initially, Trump said that the change can take place "within the next week or so". A few hours later, he said that he leaves the decision to the Minister of Defence Pete Hegseth. He does not believe that Congress needs to approve the name change.
The President has for months hinted that a name change was in the works and has previously called Hegseth "Minister of War". He has previously said that the previous name change was made because "we became politically correct".
