As President Donald Trump’s directive to rebrand the Department of Defense to the Department of War begins, some high-ranking Pentagon officials are expressing frustration with the monumental administrative task and questioning its purpose, Politico reported.

“This is purely for domestic political audiences,” a former defense official told the outlet. “Not only will this cost millions of dollars, it will have absolutely zero impact on Chinese or Russian calculations. Worse, it will be used by our enemies to portray the United States as warmongering and a threat to international stability.”

Politico interviewed more than half a dozen current and former defense officials, based on their insight into the Pentagon, and they were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic. While the specifics of the order Trump signed Friday remain unclear, officials may be required to update Defense Department seals across more than 700,000 facilities in all 50 states and 40 countries. The changes could affect everything from official letterhead for the six military branches and dozens of agencies to embossed chow hall napkins, embroidered jackets for Senate-confirmed officials, and keychains and trinkets sold in the Pentagon gift shop.

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.