Pete Hegseth Promises the U.S. Military Will Now Embrace ‘Maximum Lethality, Not Tepid Legality’

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that the U.S. military will now embrace “maximum lethality, not tepid legality,” as President Donald Trump signed an executive order reverting the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War.

“This name change is not just about renaming,” said Hegseth in front of reporters at the Oval Office, but rather “restoring the warrior ethos.” Notably, the Department of War was the official name for the DOD from 1789 to 1947.

“We are gonna go on offense, not just on defense,” Hegseth continued. “Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct. We’re gonna raise up warriors, not just defenders.”

While Congress still needs to ratify the name change for it to become permanent, the directive empowers Hegseth to begin to use the new title in official communications and proceedings. It also encourages other federal agencies to follow suit.

Trump went on to note that we “won every war” while the department held its original name. “Really, it has to do with winning,” he said of the name change. “We could have won every war, but we really chose to be very politically correct.”

Watch the clip above via Fox News.