Republican Candidates Aren’t Exactly Embracing the ‘Department of War’

The Trump administration has erased most mentions of the Department of Defense. Candidates for office haven’t.

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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stands at a podium with a logo at the Pentagon, Dec. 10, 2025. Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Republicans say they love President Donald Trump’s decision to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War.

Their candidates just haven’t all gotten the message — at least in the fine print of their campaigns.

For years, when political candidates have featured pictures of themselves in military uniform in campaign materials, they have been required to include a small disclaimer that the use of the uniform does not imply an endorsement from any branch of the military or the “Department of Defense.” The notice has long been perfunctory and likely overlooked by the vast majority of viewers.