Josh Hawley Explains What Pentagon Rebrand Is Really About and What Joe Biden Had to Do With It

DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said on Fox News Friday that he fully backs efforts to rename the Department of Defense.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to rename the Department of Defense the “Department of War,” restoring its historic title to highlight the Pentagon’s primary mission of waging and winning wars. During an appearance on “The Ingraham Angle,” Hawley said it is a necessary step to reverse the Biden administration’s ideological drift and refocus the military on its core mission: winning wars.

“Absolutely, of course,” Hawley said when asked if he supported the idea. “I see this as about getting back to mission, Laura. Which is about recruiting war fighters to fight the wars that protect America. What Biden did for the last four years by turning the military into a giant DEI seminar has got to end.”

Hawley further explained how former President Joe Biden turned the Pentagon into a vehicle for progressive social experiments rather than a force designed to defend the United States.

“They were conducting transgender surgeries in the military in military facilities. We were paying for abortions for military members, service members, for who knows who else that were getting this kind of funding for these kinds of projects. It’s totally outrageous.”

Hawley said he welcomed the proposed name change as a return to fundamentals.

“They should be defending America. To me, that is what this is all about. I welcome the change,” Hawley said. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that bringing back the Pentagon’s original name signals a deeper cultural reset inside the military’s top brass. Hegseth added that the administration’s goal is to rebuild a fighting mentality among troops.

Hegseth has spent recent weeks ramping up the military’s readiness. He ordered the creation of the Joint Interagency Task Force 401, a new unit tasked with unifying anti-drone operations across all branches.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will lead the group, which replaces a limited Army-only initiative and will draw on broader resources to strengthen air defenses at home and abroad. The Army has already tested key systems under “Project Flytrap,” with real-time exercises in Poland as drone warfare continues to reshape global battlefields.

Originally published by Daily Caller News Foundation

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