Trump's decision of 'Department of war' name change may cost over $125 million

Donald Trump

• Renaming Defense Dept. to War Dept. may cost over $125 million
• CBO says costs depend on rollout speed and scope of the name change
• Senator Merkley criticizes the move as costly and performative

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An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office has predicted that US President Donald Trump's decision to revive the name "Department of War" may cost over $125 million. This, however, depends on how the Pentagon rolls out the changes.

The Congressional Budget Office has warned that renaming the US Department of Defense as the Department of War could cost anywhere from a few million dollars to well over $125 million, depending on how widely and quickly the change is implemented.

The wide cost range reflects uncertainty over how the Pentagon plans to execute President Donald Trump’s September 2025 executive order authorising the name. Trump had said the move “demonstrates our ability and willingness to fight and win wars on behalf of our Nation at a moment's notice.”

In an initial assessment, the CBO said it reviewed a limited spending report from the Pentagon’s comptroller, which showed that $1.9 million had already been spent by five Defence Department organisations. The expenses included items such as flags, plaques and revised training materials. However, the spending covered only a 30 day period and excluded several offices, leading the agency to believe the figure significantly understates the total cost incurred so far.

Because only Congress has the authority to create or formally name cabinet departments, the Department of War is currently considered a secondary designation. Despite this, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has openly embraced the title as part of what he describes as a “fight-to-win” ethos. The administration has not yet introduced legislation seeking an official name change.

According to the CBO, a limited rollout largely restricted to Hegseth’s immediate office could cost around $10 million, mainly due to staff time and administrative updates such as revised letterhead, websites and ceremonial items. A slower, phased approach could reduce costs further. However, a broad and rapid implementation across defence wide agencies could push expenses beyond $125 million.

The budget watchdog said much of the uncertainty arises from the Pentagon’s failure to provide details on how it intends to implement the order. CBO Director Phillip Swagel highlighted this issue in a letter sent to Democratic senators on Tuesday.

The analysis was requested by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. Reacting to the findings, Merkley criticised the proposal. “Instead of prioritising bringing down the cost of groceries or health care, Trump and his cronies are focused on vanity projects like renaming the Department of Defence to the Department of War potentially costing American taxpayers upwards of $125 million,” he said. “This move is performative government at its worst and does nothing to advance national security or help service members and their families.”

The Pentagon and the White House Office of Management and Budget did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The CBO report draws heavily on previous government renaming efforts, particularly the Biden administration’s initiative to remove Confederate linked names from US Army bases. That programme ended up costing far more than originally estimated, with the Army revising its projected cost for renaming nine bases from $21 million to about $39 million. The CBO now estimates the final expense was roughly $5 million per base.

The agency warned that if Congress were to formally rename the department through legislation, costs could rise even further. A comprehensive and immediate overhaul of regulations, contracts and signage could drive total spending into the hundreds of millions of dollars.