Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said plans to rename his agency as the Department of War are “coming soon,” but it remains unclear whether the executive branch can make such a move without congressional permission.

During a White House press event on Monday, Hegseth spoke about the deployment of National Guard troops throughout Washington, D.C., and along the southern U.S. border. President Donald Trump responded to the remarks by complimenting the service members but complaining that the Department of Defense name “didn’t sound good” to him.

“Department of Defense, I don’t want to be defense only,” he continued. “We want defense, but we want offense, too.

“It used to be called the Department of War and it had a stronger sound. And as you know, we won World War I. We won World War I

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