‘Maximum lethality, not tepid legality’

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. military will now practice “maximum lethality, not tepid legality,” remarks that show the days of the Pentagon’s obsession with “woke” ideology over warfighting is now in the past.

Hegseth’s remarks came after President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, its previous name that was changed after the end of World War II.

“This name change is not just about renaming” but rather “restoring the warrior ethos,” Hegseth said in the Oval Office on Friday, where he was present for the historic occasion as Trump reverted the DOD back to its official name from 1789 to 1947.

SECRETARY OF WAR HEGSETH: “This name change is not just about renaming. It’s about restoring.”

“Restoring the warrior ethos — restoring victory and clarity as an end state.”

“This War Department, Mr. President — just like America — is back.” pic.twitter.com/aDmQyGbJPw

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 5, 2025

“We’re gonna go on offense, not just on defense,” he continued. “Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct. We’re gonna raise up warriors, not just defenders.”

“So this War Department, Mr. President, just like America, is back,” he said to Trump. “Thank you for your leadership, and your clarity, we’re gonna set the tone for this country. America first, peace through strength, brought to you by the War Department.

“We won World War II. We won everything before, and as I said, we won everything in between,” Trump said at the White House event where he signed the order. “And we were very strong, but we never fought to win. We just didn’t fight to win.”

TRUMP on the reason behind the Department of War name change:

“Really, it has to do with winning. We should have won every war. We could have won every war, but we really chose to be very politically correct — or wokey.” pic.twitter.com/LcDsa0Y9pV

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 5, 2025

“I think the Department of War sends a signal,” the president added, stating that it is a “much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now.”

“We could have won every war, but we really chose to be very politically correct, or wokey, and we just fight forever,” Trump said.

Hegseth later took to X to share a video of the nameplate outside of his office being changed to read “Secretary of War.”

pic.twitter.com/P575W2eXHF

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) September 5, 2025

“We won WWI, and we won WWII, not with the Department of Defense, but with a War Department, with the Department of War,” Hegseth said during a “Fox & Friends” appearance this week. “As the president has said, we’re not just defense, we’re offense.”

“On August 7, 1789, 236 years ago, President George Washington signed into law a bill establishing the United States Department of War to oversee the operation and maintenance of military and naval affairs. It was under this name that the Department of War, along with the later formed Department of the Navy, won the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II, inspiring awe and confidence in our Nation’s military, and ensuring freedom and prosperity for all Americans,” Trump said in a statement posted to the White House website.

“The Founders chose this name to signal our strength and resolve to the world. The name ‘Department of War,’ more than the current ‘Department of Defense,’ ensures peace through strength, as it demonstrates our ability and willingness to fight and win wars on behalf of our Nation at a moment’s notice, not just to defend. This name sharpens the Department’s focus on our own national interest and our adversaries’ focus on our willingness and availability to wage war to secure what is ours,” he continued.

“I have therefore determined that this Department should once again be known as the Department of War and the Secretary should be known as the Secretary of War,” Trump declared.

Staff Writer

Chris Donaldson is an ordinary American who is concerned about rampant corruption as well as the ongoing attacks on our way of life by those who have contempt for our hard-earned freedoms. A Navy veteran, he has been a frequent contributor to conservative websites and resides in Florida.

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