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Supporters hail Trump’s Pentagon rebrand as ‘honest,’ critics call it reckless

Supporters hail Trump’s Pentagon rebrand as ‘honest,’ critics call it reckless

As U.S. forces carry out strikes abroad and policymakers prepare to release a new national defense strategy, the Trump administration has chosen to revive a name not heard in Washington since 1947: the Department of War.  Friday’s executive order has opened a debate over whether words shape policy, or whether the symbolism matters less than the capabilities behind them. Supporters argue the shift restores honesty to the Pentagon’s identity, acknowledging that America’s armed forces have long been engaged in conflicts that stretch beyond “defense.” Critics counter that the change risks glorifying war, unsettling allies and giving adversaries new propaganda lines at a sensitive moment in global security. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who proudly assumed the new title, described the move as a cultural reset. “Words matter. Titles matter, cultures matter,” Hegseth told Fox News Digital. “George Washington founded the War Department.” HEGSETH VOWS TO REBUILD MILITARY DETERRENCE SO ENEMIES ‘DON’T WANT TO F— WITH US’ Jennifer Kavanaugh, a senior fellow at Defense Priorities, said recent strikes have emboldened Trump to lean more heavily on military power. She pointed to U.S. attacks on Iranian targets earlier this summer and, more recently, a strike on a Venezuelan drug-smuggling boat, which she said the administration clearly views as both policy successes and strong political points.  “These two strikes, as well as other small things, are maybe pushing Trump to be more aggressive than he was on the campaign trail, or even than he planned to be coming in,” Kavanaugh said. Others were more skeptical of the name’s practical impact. Frank Rose, a former Defense Department and Nuclear Security Administration official, said the change does little to address real challenges. “I have no problem with the [new] name,” he said. “The real question is this: Will this name change allow us to get capability faster to the warfighter and stay ahead of Russia and China? I’m skeptical. Names don’t deter. Capabilities deter.” Some observers worry the debate over symbolism is overshadowing substantive developments. “This story is overshadowing more important news,” said John Byrnes, strategic director for Concerned Veterans for America. “The overdue National Defense Strategy seems about to be published, and sources are reporting that it outlines a pivot toward focusing more resources on defense here in North America.” The Pentagon’s strategy document, released once per administration, is expected soon. A recent report in Politico suggested it will center on homeland defense and the Western Hemisphere, underscoring a shift in priorities as the U.S. faces threats closer to home. The executive order allows the Pentagon to continue using “Department of Defense” as a secondary name, a concession that may ease the daunting task of changing countless seals, emblems and bureaucratic references. TRUMP TO RENAME PENTAGON, RESTORING HISTORIC ‘DEPARTMENT OF WAR’ IN LATEST MILITARY MOVE For most of the nation’s history, the U.S. military was overseen by the Department of War. Created in 1789 as one of the first executive departments, it managed the Army, fortifications and the nation’s defenses. The Navy, established separately in 1798, was not folded into the War Department. By the mid-20th century, policymakers were rethinking the military’s role. The devastation of World War II and the onset of the Cold War spurred the 1947 National Security Act, which merged the War and Navy Departments into the National Military Establishment.  In 1949, that structure was renamed the Department of Defense. The new title was meant to signal a mission of deterrence and stability rather than aggressive war-making, aligning with America’s Cold War role as a global protector. For more than 75 years, the Department of Defense has symbolized that mission. Restoring the “War” name represents a striking departure from that framework. Modern governments have largely abandoned the blunt language of “war” in naming their defense bureaucracies. The United Kingdom once had separate War and Air ministries, which were merged after World War II into today’s Ministry of Defence. In Germany, pre-1945 governments relied on a War Ministry, but postwar leaders created a Federal Ministry of Defense to emphasize collective security within NATO. Russia maintains a Ministry of Defense, headquartered in Moscow, even as it wages wars abroad.  The trend reflects a 20th-century shift toward language that frames militaries as protectors rather than aggressors. America’s decision to move in the opposite direction stands out globally. Kavanaugh noted that the rhetorical turn may resonate differently with U.S. audiences. For some, she said, it will emphasize the military’s lethality — a theme Trump and Hegseth have repeatedly embraced.  For others, it will serve as a reminder that the United States spends far more time intervening abroad than defending its own borders.  “Department of War is sort of a much more accurate description of what the military does,” she said. “The homeland itself is actually very secure: we have oceans on two sides, weak neighbors to the north and south… so I do think it calls attention to what is the fundamental role of the military here, which is fighting wars abroad, which hasn’t always advanced U.S. interests.” It remains unclear whether Trump can make the change permanent without congressional approval. His order directs Hegseth to propose both legislative and executive measures to enshrine the name. Democrats have already voiced opposition. “Totally something my 8-year-old would come up with,” Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., wrote on X. “Americans want to prevent wars, not tout them.” “Only someone who avoided the draft would want to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War,” added Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.

Democrats slam Trump for ‘war’ threats targeting US cities: ‘Not your war zone’

Democrats slam Trump for ‘war’ threats targeting US cities: ‘Not your war zone’

Democrats are criticizing President Donald Trump for a social media post that appeared to threaten Chicago with deportations and the U.S. military. Trump posted on Truth Social an AI image of himself styled as Robert Duvall’s character in “Apocalypse Now,” a Vietnam War epic about a decorated U.S. officer who has gone rogue deep in the Cambodian jungle. The words “Chipocalypse Now” were also seen on the image. “‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning…’” Trump wrote in the post on Saturday morning, a play on a famous quote from the 1979 film. “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” he added, referring to his recent executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War. TRUMP ROILS CHICAGO DEMOCRATS WITH APOCALYPSE NOW MEME HINTING AT NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT Several Democrats blasted the president for his threats of “war” against U.S. cities, which comes as the federal government is potentially considering deploying the National Guard to Chicago to deal with crime – a move Illinois leaders have repeatedly criticized. California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to the post by saying Trump was “using our troops like political pawns.” “The President of the United States is deploying the military onto US streets and using our troops like political pawns,” Newsom wrote on X. “DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BECOME NUMB TO THIS.” Newsom butted heads with Trump over the summer after National Guard troops and Marines were deployed to Los Angeles to respond to anti-ICE demonstrations and support federal immigration enforcement. CHICAGO MAYOR CALLS TRUMP’S FEDERALIZATION THREATS ‘BENEATH THE HONOR OF OUR NATION,’ PROTESTS PLANNED Both Illinois senators pushed back on the president’s “disgusting” post suggesting he would wage war on the Windy City. “No Donald, Chicago is not your war zone,” Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth wrote on X. Duckworth is also a combat veteran and retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. CHICAGO RESIDENT GOES AFTER CITY’S ‘PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC GANG’ FOR REFUSING TRUMP’S FEDERAL HELP ON CRIME Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin wrote on X that Trump should be focused on his “weak jobs reports,” “record measles cases,” “tariffs hurting American farmers and businesses” and “hidden Epstein files,” instead of “asking ChatGPT to make him memes and threatening to turn our brave armed forces against American cities.” “This tweet this morning was disgusting to suggest that the troops are coming into Chicago or that the Department of War is going to be engaged is an embarrassment,” Durban said during remarks before a parade in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have been feuding with Trump in recent weeks over the potential deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. “The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city,” Pritzker wrote on X on Saturday. “This is not a joke. This is not normal. Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.” Johnson has previously cited data showing that violent crime in Chicago has declined in the last year, including homicides and robberies dipping by more than 30%, and shootings dropping by nearly 40%. “The President’s threats are beneath the honor of our nation, but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution,” Johnson wrote on Saturday. “We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump.”

US Open: Sabalenka wins second straight title, defeats Anisimova

US Open: Sabalenka wins second straight title, defeats Anisimova

World number one Aryna Sabalenka defended her US Open title with a straight-sets victory against Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova. Published On 7 Sep 20257 Sep 2025 Aryna Sabalenka retained her US Open crown with a 6-3, 7-6(3) win over American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova in the women’s final on Saturday, underlining her claim as the modern queen of the hardcourt. The Belarusian has not missed a hardcourt major final since 2022. Her latest trophy brings her Grand Slam haul to four, as she becomes the first woman to win back-to-back US Opens since Serena Williams claimed three consecutive titles from 2012 to 2014. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The battle between two of tennis’s hardest-hitting, biggest-serving women boiled down to unforced errors, as Sabalenka kept them down to 15 compared with 29 from her opponent. “I want to thank everyone who came here, who flew in to be there in my box,” said Sabalenka, who fell to her knees after clinching the match with an un-returnable serve, and jumped up and down with her coaches in the stands in a scene of utter joy. “I’m going to reach a lot more finals, and I don’t care where you are in the world, I want you in my box.” Playing in only her second major final, New Jersey-born Anisimova had the partisan fans at the famed Arthur Ashe Stadium on her side, but could never hang onto the momentum. “It’s been a great summer. Losing in two finals in a row is great, but it’s also super hard,” said 24-year-old Anisimova, who was left in tears yet again after the heartbreak of her 6-0, 6-0 drubbing in the Wimbledon final two months ago. “I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today.” Sabalenka became the first woman to win the US Open in consecutive years since Serena Williams in 2014 [Timothy A Clary/AFP] Sabalenka sets the tone early Sabalenka, 27, had ice in her veins as she saved three break points in a nervy first game, and Anisimova handed over the early break when she sent a shot past the baseline in the second. Advertisement Anisimova hit her stride when she won a 12-shot rally with a forehand winner out of Sabalenka’s reach to break back in the third game. The American went up a break as her opponent hit one beyond the baseline in the fifth. The tiger-tattooed Belarusian prowled along the baseline in frustration and pounced on her chance to get the momentum back, breaking Anisimova to love in the sixth game and converting on another break point from the baseline in the eighth. Sabalenka closed out the first set with an un-returnable serve, and sent a backhand whizzing past her opponent to convert on a break point in the third game of the second set. Anisimova refused to give up as she levelled it in the sixth with a backhand winner of her own, whipping the fans into a frenzy. But the American party ended abruptly as their home hope sent the ball into the net on a break point in the seventh. Anisimova stayed in it as Sabalenka helped her break back with a flubbed smash in the 10th game. But she buckled to the Belarusian’s power in the tiebreak, where Sabalenka sprinted through to victory. Sabalenka, left, hugs Anisimova after winning the US Open [Charly Triballeau/AFP] Adblock test (Why?)

Trump threatens ‘war’ on Chicago as thousands protest federal crackdown

Trump threatens ‘war’ on Chicago as thousands protest federal crackdown

United States President Donald Trump has threatened to unleash his newly rebranded “Department of War” on Chicago, as thousands of protesters marched in the city as well as in Washington, DC, to denounce the deployment of National Guard troops and immigration agents to Democratic-led cities. Trump’s threat, posted on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, featured a parody image from the movie Apocalypse Now, showing a ball of flames as helicopters zoom over the skyline of Chicago, the US’s third-largest city. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning,’” Trump wrote on his social media site. “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” The president offered no details beyond the label “Chipocalypse Now,” a play on the title of Francis Ford Coppola’s dystopian 1979 film set in the Vietnam war, in which a character says, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”. The post from Trump follows his repeated threats to add Chicago to the list of other Democratic-led cities he has targeted for expanded federal enforcement. His administration is set to step up immigration enforcement in Chicago, as it did in Los Angeles, and deploy National Guard troops. Democratic Governor of Illinois JB Pritzker, where Chicago is located, voiced outrage at Trump’s post and said the state “won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator”. “The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal,” he wrote in a post on X. Thousands of demonstrators participate in the ‘We Are All DC’ national march, in solidarity with DC communities, and call for an end to Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in the US capital [Amid Farahi/AFP] Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also denounced Trump’s threat as “beneath the honor of our nation”. Advertisement “The reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution. We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump,” Johnson wrote on X. Protests in Chicago, DC In addition to sending troops to Los Angeles in June, Trump has deployed them since last month in Washington, DC, as part of his unprecedented law enforcement takeover of the country’s capital. He has also suggested that Baltimore and New Orleans could get the same treatment and, on Friday, even mentioned federal authorities possibly heading for Portland, Oregon, to “wipe ’em out”, meaning the protesters. The US president on Friday also signed an order changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, saying it sends “a message of victory” to the world. The troop and federal agent deployments have prompted legal challenges and protests, with critics calling them an authoritarian show of force. On Saturday, more than a thousand protesters marched through the streets of downtown Chicago, with signs bearing slogans like “I.C.E. out of Illinois, I.C.E. out of everywhere”, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). Speakers offered the crowd instructions on what to do if encountering ICE agents. They also drew comparisons between the proposed ICE crackdown on Chicago and Israel’s presence in Gaza. “We are inspired by the steadfastness of Palestinians in Gaza, and it is why we refuse to cower to Trump and his threats,” Nazek Sankari, co-chair of the US Palestinian Community Network, said to the crowd as many waved Palestinian flags and donned keffiyehs. Viviana Barajas, leader with the community organisation Palenque LSNA, promised that Chicagoans would “stand up” as Los Angeles had if Trump deployed the National Guard in their city. “If he thinks these frivolous theatrics to undermine our sovereignty will shut out the passion we have for protecting our people, this is Chicago, and he is sorely mistaken,” Barajas said. “We have been studying LA and DC, and they have stood up for their cities.” In the US capital, protesters at the “We Are All DC” march, who also included supporters of Palestinian statehood, marched behind a bright red banner reading, “END THE D.C. OCCUPATION”, in English and Spanish. They chanted slogans denouncing Trump and carried posters, some of which read, “Trump must go now,” “Free DC”, and “Resist Tyranny”. Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro, reporting from Washington, DC, said the protesters were “furious” of Trump’s order, and were calling him “a fascist and an authoritarian”. Advertisement She noted that Trump had deployed the 2,000 troops last month to fight what he called a surge in violent crime, but that such offences in the US capital last year had hit “a 30-year low”. Mark Fitzpatrick, a former US diplomat who has been a DC resident for about a decade, told The Associated Press news agency on Saturday that he was worried about the “authoritarian nature” in which the administration is treating DC. “Federal agents, national guards patrolling our streets, that’s really an affront to the democracy of our city,” he said, adding that it is worse for DC residents due to their lack of federal representation. “We don’t have our own senators or members of the House of Representatives, so we’re at the mercy of a dictator like this, a wanna-be dictator.” Among the protesters on Saturday was Jun Lee, a printmaker artist, who showed up with a “Free DC” sign that she made on a woodcut block. She said she came to the protest because she was “saddened and heartbroken” about the impact of the federal intervention on her city. “This is my home, and I never, ever thought all the stuff that I watched in a history documentary that I’m actually living in person, and this is why this is important for everyone. This is our home; we need to fight, we need to resist,” she said. Trump has suggested that he has nearly limitless powers when it comes to deploying the National Guard. At times he has even touched on questions about his being a dictator. “Most

Gaza war film The Voice of Hind Rajab wins 2nd prize at Venice festival

Gaza war film The Voice of Hind Rajab wins 2nd prize at Venice festival

A harrowing docudrama about Israel’s killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl during its ongoing war on Gaza has won the Silver Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival. The Voice of Hind Rajab, by French-Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, came in second on Saturday to the movie Father Mother Sister Brother by United States indie director Jim Jarmusch. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The film tells the true story of Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli forces last year, as she and her family tried to evacuate Gaza City. It uses real audio from Rajab’s hours-long call to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, in which rescuers tried to reassure her as she lay trapped in a bullet-ridden car with the bodies of her aunt, uncle and three cousins, who had all been killed by Israeli fire. The girl was then also killed, as were the two ambulance workers who went to the scene to try and rescue her. The film was the most talked-about movie on the Venice Lido and tipped by many as the likely winner after a 23-minute standing ovation at its premiere on Wednesday. Ben Hania, accepting her award, said Rajab’s story was not just that of the young girl, but tragically that of “an entire people enduring genocide”. “Cinema cannot bring Hind back, nor can it erase the atrocity committed against her. Nothing can ever restore what was taken, but cinema can preserve her voice, make it resonate across borders,” the director said. “Her voice will continue to echo until accountability is real, until justice is served.” Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, including more than 18,000 children, cast a long shadow over this year’s festival. Jarmusch, who won the coveted Golden Lion, signalled his opposition to Israel’s continued siege and bombardment of Gaza by wearing a badge saying “Enough” at the award ceremony. Advertisement Earlier in the weekend, when he had unveiled Father Mother Sister Brother, the 72-year-old director acknowledged that he was concerned that one of his main distributors had taken money from a company with ties to the Israeli military. Jarmusch’s winning film stars Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver and Tom Waits, and is a three-part meditation on the uneasy ties between parents and their adult children. He called Saturday’s win an “unexpected honour” and thanked the grand jury for “appreciating our quiet film”. In other categories, Italy’s Toni Servillo was named best actor for his wry portrayal of a weary president nearing the end of his mandate, in La Grazia, while China’s Xin Zhilei won best actress for her role in The Sun Rises On Us All, a drama that delves into questions of sacrifice, guilt and unresolved feelings between estranged lovers who share a dark secret. The best director nod went to Benny Safdie for The Smashing Machine, which starred Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the role of the real-life mixed martial arts pioneer Mark Kerr. The special jury award went to Italy’s Gianfranco Rosi for his black-and-white documentary Below the Clouds, about life in the chaotic southern city of Naples, marked by repeated earthquakes and the threat of volcanic eruptions. Servillo, who won best actor, was one of several award-winners to speak about Gaza from the stage, expressing “admiration” for activists on a flotilla of boats attempting to break Israel’s siege of Gaza. They “have decided to set sail with courage to reach Palestine and to bring a sign of humanity to a land where human dignity is daily and cruelly demeaned”, Servillo said. Annapurna Roy, who won the best director prize in the Horizons sidebar, a discovery section led by French filmmaker Julia Ducournau, also devoted part of her remarks to the conflict in Gaza. Roy, who is Indian, won the award for her debut feature, Songs of Forgotton Trees, about two migrant women in Mumbai. “Every child deserves peace, freedom, liberation, and Palestine is no exception,” Roy said. “I stand beside Palestine. I might upset my country, but it doesn’t matter to me any more.” Armani Beauty’s audience award winning filmmaker Maryam Touzani (Calle Málaga) also spotlighted the conflict in Gaza. “How many mothers have been made childless?” she said. “How many more until this horror is brought to an end? We refuse to lose our humanity.” The Venice festival marks the start of the awards season, and regularly throws up big favourites for the Oscars, with films premiering there over the past four years collecting more than 90 Oscar nominations and winning almost 20. Advertisement Among the movies that left Venice empty-handed were a trio of Netflix pictures, Kathryn Bigelow’s nuclear thriller A House of Dynamite, Guillermo del Toro’s re-telling of Frankenstein, and Noah Baumbach’s comedy-drama Jay Kelly. No Other Choice by South Korea’s Park Chan-wook also failed to secure an award, despite strong reviews; likewise, Bugonia by Yorgos Lanthimos, which starred Emma Stone. Adblock test (Why?)