President Donald Trump has long made clear that empathy isn’t his strong suit. From cutting food aid to blocking health care subsidies, he has repeatedly forced Americans to struggle when it suits his agenda.
Now he’s at it again—this time proposing a vanity project that could cost taxpayers up to $2 billion.
According to NBC News, Trump’s directive to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War would require replacing thousands of signs, letterheads, badges, and digital systems across U.S. military installations worldwide.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
Just swapping out signage and letterhead could cost roughly $1 billion, sources told NBC. But one of the biggest expenses would come from rewriting code and rebranding the department’s digital infrastructure—updating software across classified and unclassified networks, internal communications, and public-facing websites.
Though Congress would need to approve the change, Trump’s Pentagon appears to be moving forward regardless.
“The Department of War is aggressively implementing the name change directed by President Trump,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told NBC, calling it “a nod to our proud heritage.” He also blamed “the Democrat shutdown” for delaying cost estimates.
The timing is striking. Trump has spent months railing against so-called wasteful spending and blocking bills that would keep millions fed, but he’s ready to pour billions into a vanity rebrand that no one asked for. It’s a familiar pattern: gut social programs, bulk up the Pentagon, and sell it all as patriotism.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has championed the effort, saying it reflects a renewed focus on “lethality” and a “warrior ethos.”
Meanwhile, during Trump’s Veterans Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery, he cast the move as a symbolic restoration.
An aerial view of the Pentagon.
“We are restoring the pride and the winning spirit of the United States military,” he said. “The Department of War better conveys the message that we fight to win.”
Trump first floated the idea in September, signing an executive order authorizing Hegseth to use the “Secretary of War” title and “Department of War” branding. But an official renaming still requires congressional approval, which so far hasn’t happened.
Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah, along with GOP Rep. Greg Steube of Florida, have introduced bills to formalize the change.
“Restoring the name to Department of War reflects our true purpose: to dominate wars, not merely respond,” Scott said in a statement.
However, not all Republicans are on board. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said that the plan is “glorifying war” and vowed to oppose any funding for it.
Related | Major military leader bails on Hegseth’s chaotic Pentagon
Democrats have been openly dismissive of the rebrand.
Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia called the proposal “cosplay,” according to NBC. And in September, 10 Democratic senators asked the Congressional Budget Office to detail the costs of the rebrand, criticizing it as “wasteful and hypocritical.”
“It appears to prioritize political theater over responsible governance, while diverting resources from core national security functions,” the senators wrote.
This latest stunt proves that Trump’s “legacy” is more about branding than defense. Spending billions on stationery and websites won’t make the country safer—but it might make Trump look tougher.
And for him, that’s the whole point.
