President Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming the Pentagon from the Department of Defense to the Department of War, a move that could cost taxpayers over $1 billion.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump said the change reflects that the U.S. has “the strongest military,” adding, “Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was the Department of War.”

The decision has drawn criticism due to its potential price tag. Politico reported that the rebranding effort, which will require updating signage, stationery, and hundreds of Pentagon agencies and global bases, could ultimately cost billions. Trump, however, downplayed the expense, telling reporters, “Not a lot. We know how to rebrand without going crazy.”

The move comes as the Pentagon considers an 8 percent cut, roughly $50 billion, to the Biden administration’s 2026 defense budget in order to fund Trump’s priorities, including border security and the elimination of what the White House has called “wasteful government DEI programs.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the change in a Fox & Friends interview, noting, “We won WWI, and we won WWII, not with the Department of Defense, but with a War Department.” He added, “As the president has said, we’re not just defense, we’re offense.”

The Pentagon was originally renamed the Department of Defense in the late 1940s, following World War II. Asked Friday if Congress would codify the reversal, Trump said, “I don’t know…but I’m not sure they have to. We’ll put it before Congress.”

Republican lawmakers in both chambers have already introduced legislation to formalize the new name.