The 'peace president' launches a 'Department of War'

Plus, Gov. Pritzker calls Trump's Chicago deployment threat 'a nefarious plan' |

VIEW IN BROWSER MSNBC DAILY Understand today's news Saturday, Sep. 06, 2025 THE LATEST Trump's 'Department of War' launch is more than just a shallow rebrand By Zeeshan Aleem Trump's 'Department of War' launch is more than just a shallow rebrand By Zeeshan Aleem If you needed any more proof that President Donald Trump's quest to be considered "the ultimate peace president" and secure a Nobel Peace Prize is a farce, then look no further than his executive order on Friday rebranding the Department of Defense as the Department of War.   NBC News reports that Trump's executive order "won't rename the Defense Department, but it will authorize Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use secondary titles like 'secretary of war' and 'Department of War' in official correspondence and public communications and during formal ceremonies, according to a White House preview of the order." (Fully renaming the department would require congressional approval.)   Trump is not a student of history, but he does understand that names can telegraph meaning. "Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War," he told reporters in August. "Then we changed it to Department of Defense." He added, "Defense is too defensive. And we want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too if we have to be."   This is a preview of Zeeshan Aleem's latest column. Read the full column here.  TOP STORIES ERUM SALAM Hundreds arrested in ICE raid at Georgia Hyundai plant At least 475 people were arrested in the largest single-site enforcement operation in the Department of Homeland Security's history. Read more. EVELYN DANFORTH-SCOTT AND CODY VENZKE DOGE mishandled your Social Security data. Here's what that means. Our decades-old federal privacy laws have not kept pace with the many trends that have transformed our very online world. Read more. JA'HAN JONES DOJ official says comments about Epstein caught on hidden camera were just 'personal' The Justice Department's screen-grabbed statement does not appear to be tamping down online speculation about the Epstein files. Read more. HANNAH HOLLAND 'Unknown Number' isn't just about a teen's life. It's about the risks hiding in every phone. Netflix's new true-crime documentary details a tragic example of how a phone can become a weapon. Read more.  TOP VIDEOS THE BRIEFING WITH JEN PSAKI Gov. Pritzker: Trump's threat to deploy troops in Chicago is 'a nefarious plan' WATCH NOW ALL IN 'A failing economy': Sen. Alsobrooks reacts to weak August jobs report WATCH NOW ANA CABRERA REPORTS Fmr. CDC official on state-based healthcare: 'The only path forward, but not the best outcome' WATCH NOW ANA CABRERA REPORTS 'Is being gay a crime?': Makeup artist freed from CECOT shares harrowing deportation story WATCH NOW MORE FROM MSNBC This week on "The Best People," Nicolle Wallace speaks with documentarian Ken Burns to discuss his upcoming documentary series on the American Revolution and how this film showed him that tensions felt today mirror the tension that gave birth to our nation. Listen now, and subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts for early access, ad-free listening, and bonus content. On Saturday, October 11, don't miss the chance to attend "MSNBCLIVE '25," our second live community event featuring more than a dozen of our hosts in New York City. "MSNBCLIVE '25" will unite anchors, experts, and fans in an immersive, in-person experience centered on the pressing issues facing Americans today. Go to msnbc.com/live25 to buy your tickets now. This weekend on MSNBC SATURDAY MSNBC's "Velshi" at 10am ET: Gov. Bob Ferguson (D-Wash.)… Stephen King MSNBC's "PoliticsNation" at 5pm ET: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)... Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) SUNDAY MSNBC's "The Weekend" at 7am ET: Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.)... Fmr. Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.)... Fmr. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams   MSNBC INSIGHTS Have you ever wanted to provide MSNBC with your opinion about their TV programs, documentaries, and digital products, such as MSNBC.com, newsletters, and podcasts? Now is your chance! Join the MSNBC Insights Community.   Download the MSNBC App: 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 PRIVACY | CONTACT | UNSUBSCRIBE