• President Trump’s directive to rename the Department of Defense could total $2 billion
• Physical updates including letterhead and signage estimated at $1 billion alone
• Digital infrastructure overhaul would require extensive website and software code rewriting

WASHINGTON (TDR) — President Donald Trump‘s executive order to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War could cost American taxpayers as much as $2 billion, according to six people with knowledge of the potential expenses.

The name change directive, which requires Congressional approval to become official, would necessitate replacing thousands of signs, placards, letterheads and badges at U.S. military installations worldwide. The extensive rebranding effort has drawn criticism from lawmakers concerned about wasteful spending during a period of proposed budget cuts.

Physical changes carry massive price tag

New department letterhead and signage alone could cost approximately $1 billion, according to four senior congressional staffers and one person briefed on the potential cost. The physical infrastructure updates would span military bases across the globe, requiring coordination across multiple continents and time zones.

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One of the biggest contributors to the overall expense would be rewriting digital code for all internal and external facing websites, as well as other computer software on classified and unclassified systems. The technological overhaul represents a complex undertaking that could push total costs to the $2 billion mark.

Congressional Democrats raise concerns

Ten Senate Democrats sent a letter to the Congressional Budget Office in September requesting a comprehensive cost analysis of changing the department’s name. The letter specifically requested estimates for procuring new signage, branding and ceremonial materials, updating personnel titles, website redesign and digital infrastructure updates.

The lawmakers called the effort “wasteful and hypocritical,” particularly given the Trump administration’s focus on fiscal restraint and budget cuts. They argued the rebrand “appears to prioritize political theater over responsible governance, while diverting resources from core national security functions.”

Historical context and current implementation

The Pentagon carried the Department of War designation from 1789 until 1949, when President Harry Truman changed it to the National Military Establishment. The National Security Act of 1947 signed by Truman organized all military services into a single entity led by a secretary of defense.

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Pete Hegseth, who serves as defense secretary, has enthusiastically embraced using the title “Secretary of War.” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that “The Department of War is aggressively implementing the name change directed by President Trump, and is making the name permanent.”

Trump announced the proposed name change in early September when he signed an executive order authorizing Hegseth to adopt the title “secretary of war” and to use “Department of War” in official correspondence and public communications. During a Veterans Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery, Trump said: “Under the Trump administration, we are restoring the pride and the winning spirit of the United States military.”

The government spending debate comes as Hegseth plans to cut thousands of Pentagon military and civilian personnel as part of his effort to reshape the department’s budget to focus on what he calls “lethality” and a “warrior ethos.” The government could decide not to make every change to Department of Defense branding, which could bring down the cost, according to congressional staffers.

Should billions in taxpayer dollars be spent on rebranding when the administration emphasizes fiscal restraint?

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