President Donald Trump has stirred discussion after suggesting a dramatic shift in how the U.S. military should be represented. Speaking on Sunday, Trump argued that America’s past victories—including both World Wars—were achieved under the “Department of War,” before it was renamed to the Department of Defense in 1949.

“We won the first World War. We won the second World War. We won everything before that and in between — and then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So, we’re going Department of War,” Trump declared.

The comment reflects Trump’s push to project military strength and revive what he describes as a more forceful identity for the nation’s defense apparatus. The Department of War was originally established in 1789 and was responsible for overseeing military operations until it was reorganized after World War II into the Department of Defense.

Supporters see Trump’s statement as a call to return to a bolder, more traditional stance on national defense. Critics, however, argue that the remark could inflame tensions and oversimplify the role of America’s modern military, which not only fights wars but also manages global alliances, humanitarian operations, and cyber defense.

Whether Trump intends to formally pursue such a change remains unclear, but the statement has already sparked a wave of reaction across political and military circles.