Rebranding to the “Department of War” Will Surely Fix Everything Quick: Name one clear triumph in a meaningful war for the United States since 1945. Rebranding the DoD as the Department of War is, Trump suggested, a critical step in returning to a time when America was always winning. It’s going to take more than a rebranded Department of War to fix wanton immorality and strategic stupidity. secretary of war, “Pomade Pete” Hegseth, whose signature move has been to do pushups with the troops while extolling a “warrior ethos.” Such an ethos, of course, is more consistent with a War Department than a Defense Department, so kudos to him. For America’s parasitic war state, there will always be more to feed on and to attempt (never very successfully) to dominate.