President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order Friday that will authorize the Pentagon to begin using the historic name “Department of War,” reviving terminology abandoned more than seven decades ago.

According to a White House fact sheet, the order permits the Department of Defense and its leaders to adopt “Department of War” as a secondary title in official correspondence, public communications, ceremonial occasions, and non-statutory documents. Trump is expected to sign the order in the Oval Office this afternoon, marking the 200th day of his second term.

“Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was the Department of War,” Trump told reporters last week. “Then we changed it to Department of Defense. We’re going back.”

The move bypasses Congress, which approved the 1949 law renaming the agency as part of a post-World War II military reorganization. At that time, President Harry Truman signed the National Security Act consolidating the Army, Navy, and newly created Air Force into what became the Department of Defense.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, appointed earlier this year, confirmed the change was imminent. Speaking at Fort Benning Thursday, he said, “Stand by tomorrow. Words matter. Titles matter. George Washington founded the War Department. We’ll see.”

The War Department was originally established in 1789 and oversaw America’s land forces through World War II. Trump has argued that the title “Defense” is too passive. In a recent Oval Office appearance, he declared: “We won World War I, we won World War II — it was called the Department of War. That’s really what it is.”

Critics warn the rebranding signals an embrace of confrontation abroad while dismissing constitutional checks. Legal experts note that formally renaming a federal department requires congressional action, raising questions about whether the executive order will withstand challenge.

The administration insists the order is symbolic, with Hegseth tasked to explore legislative options to cement the change. The new terminology will also extend to secondary titles such as “Secretary of War” and “Deputy Secretary of War.”

The move comes as Trump continues to press for a more aggressive global posture while simultaneously claiming credit for peace initiatives.