Pete Hegseth is conducting a poll among the public about renaming the agency he heads as the Department of War
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has mooted the possibility of renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War. The defense chief is conducting a poll among the public about the potential switch.
“Better name? Have my thoughts… welcome yours,” Hegseth posted on X, sharing the poll.
The poll has attracted over 160,000 users, with more than half favoring the idea of a new name for the Department of Defense. Tesla and SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk shared the poll, commenting: “War is more accurate.”
The agency in charge of the army military affairs was in fact called the Department of War for nearly 160 years. However, in 1947, it was reorganized and merged with the Department of the Navy under the National Security Act. Two years later, the Department of Defense (DOD) was created, absorbing the functions of the eliminated agency.
Earlier this month, Hegseth stated that Washington was prepared to go to war with China if necessary. His comment came in response to Beijing’s threat of tariff retaliation as part of the renewed trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
This week, the New York Times, citing unnamed US officials, claimed that Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), would be briefed on a military blueprint “for any war that might break out with China.” The Wall Street Journal followed with a report stating that a China war plan would be “one of several topics” discussed during the billionaire’s visit to the Pentagon. The news outlet alleged that the meeting could have given Musk, as the head of Tesla, which relies on China for car production, and SpaceX, access to sensitive military secrets unavailable to business competitors.
Hegseth took to X to deny the media reports, dismissing them as “fake news.” The defense chief stressed that the meeting was focused on “innovation, efficiencies, and smarter production.”
US President Donald Trump has dismissed the allegations as “completely untrue.” He accused the “discredited media” of “making up lies” and emphasized that China was neither mentioned nor discussed during the meeting.
According to a Congressional Research Service report, between 1798 and 2023, the US engaged in “hundreds of instances” where military forces were deployed abroad for armed conflict or potential conflict to “protect” its citizens or “promote” its interests. In the 21st century, such instances include major conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, along with military operations in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia. Washington has formally declared war against foreign nations 11 times in its history.