According to a US official and another person familiar with the matter, the Directorate of Defense, a key component of the White House National Security Council, has been renamed the Directorate of War.
Details of the Name Change
Sources said that as part of the change, officials working in the office are now called directors for war, and they are overseen by a special assistant to the president for war. One source said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has also been serving as the national security adviser since May, signed off on the change this week. When asked for comment, a White House official confirmed the new name, adding “#WAR!” for emphasis.
It remains unclear whether the rebrand will have any impact on policy. Trump’s embrace of the word “war” over “defense” to describe White House and Pentagon functions is an irony of his presidency, as he also casts himself as a global peacemaker, and allies are pushing for him to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Reaction at the Pentagon
Some opponents of the Pentagon rebrand, which was announced last week, said it would require a costly update of signs and letterheads across the world. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the name change was “not just about words; it’s about the warrior ethos.”
Each NSC directorate oversees a specific topic, ranging from legislative affairs to intelligence matters to geographic areas like Europe or East Asia. The defense directorate has typically taken the lead on military readiness and weapons-related issues, though the precise remit of each directorate varies by administration. While the Directorate of Defense — now the Directorate of War — is among the NSC’s most important, the NSC itself has seen its influence vastly diminish under Trump.
