Politics

Hegseth Reads From Notes in Awkward ‘Department of War’ Promo Video

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

The one-minute video is full of jingoistic rhetoric and at least one double-negative.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order to rename the Department of Defense the "Department of War", in the Oval Office, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 5, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Brian Snyder/REUTERS

With the Department of Defense now rebranded as the “Department of War,” President Donald Trump shared a new video featuring an awkwardly re-titled “War Secretary” Pete Hegseth reeling off generic statements about just how tough the department will be. In the video, which Trump posted to Truth Social, Hegseth glances at a script while informing Americans of the reasoning behind the rebrand. “This name change is not just about renaming, it’s about restoring,” Hegseth said. “It’s going to fight to win, not not to lose [sic]. We’re going to go on offense, not just on defense.” Trump signed an executive order on Friday slapping the new name on the Department of Defense. However, the president does not actually have the power to officially rename a government department, making “Department of War” a secondary title. Arguing that the name change will “set the tone for this country,” Hegseth concluded with a corporate-style sign-off: “America first, peace through strength, brought to you by the War Department.”

Read it at Truth Social

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