The Pentagon’s web site and social media channels have been overhauled Friday at President Donald Trump’s behest to replicate the US Protection Division’s new “Division of Struggle” persona, shifting from Protection.gov to Struggle.gov—a symbolic rebranding that highlights the administration’s desire for projecting energy by way of the language of struggle reasonably than the idiom of protection.
Trump on Friday signed an government order directing the Pentagon to as soon as once more be named the so-called Division of Struggle, reviving a reputation retired after World Struggle II to mark America’s flip to deterrence because the precept bulwark towards nuclear annihilation.
At an Oval Workplace ceremony, Trump mentioned the change was about perspective, declaring, “It’s actually about successful.”
“We gained the First World Struggle, we gained the Second World Struggle, we gained all the pieces earlier than that and in between,” Trump mentioned throughout the order’s signing. “After which we determined to go woke and we modified the identify to the Division of Protection.”
The order authorizes protection secretary Pete Hegseth and different officers to make use of titles corresponding to “secretary of struggle” in official correspondence, although Trump additionally instructed Hegseth to suggest steps wanted to make the change everlasting.
“We’re going to go on offense, not simply on protection. Most lethality, not tepid legality. Violent impact, not politically appropriate,” Hegseth mentioned throughout Friday’s signing ceremony. “We’re going to boost up warriors, not simply defenders.”
Each prior identify change—from the Struggle Division created by Congress in 1789, to the Nationwide Army Institution in 1947, to the Division of Protection in 1949—got here by way of laws. Allies in Congress rapidly launched a invoice to again Friday’s change to the so-called Division of Struggle, however the administration seems to be in search of a workaround anyway, because it has performed prior to now, whether or not by invoking sweeping emergency powers or withholding congressionally approved foreign aid. At present, “Division of Struggle” is a “secondary” title after the Division of Protection.
Inside hours of Trump’s order, Pentagon officers rebranded the division’s social media platforms. The Division of Protection’s official Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts quietly rolled out the “Division of Struggle” identify and seal, adopting labels at odds with its authorized id.
As of round 6 pm ET on Friday, the new Department of War page nonetheless lists all of the division’s different social channels and its web site as utilizing the “Protection” identify, as did its YouTube channel.
How far the rebranding would possibly go is unclear, however any complete effort would saddle taxpayers with prices within the lots of of tens of millions, if not billions, of {dollars}, as each signal, brand, uniform, laptop system, and piece of official paperwork tied to the Pentagon’s id throughout the globe would should be changed.
A previous effort to suggest adjustments at army installations commemorating the Confederacy carried a projected value of $39 million and coated solely 9 bases. The Protection Division’s actual property portfolio spans lots of of 1000’s of amenities, from main bases to small outposts worldwide.
