President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rename the US defence department as the “Department of War”, reverting to a title it held until after World War II when officials sought to emphasise the Pentagon’s role in preventing conflict.

Trump’s move represents his latest effort to rebrand the US military, which has included his decision to preside over an extraordinary military parade in downtown Washington DC, and to restore the original names of military bases that were changed after racial justice protests in 2020.

Trump has also challenged conventional norms over domestic deployment of the US armed forces, creating military zones along the southern US border with Mexico to aid an immigration crackdown as well as deploying troops in cities like Los Angeles and Washington.

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