The Dispatch
The Secretary of War of the United States issued an Easter greeting on April 5, 2026, via his official X account, @SecWar. The post read: “The tomb is empty. The promise is fulfilled. Through His sacrifice, we are redeemed. We stand firm in faith, courage, and truth — Happy Easter.” The post was accompanied by an image bearing a cross, the seal of the Department of War, and a citation from Luke 24:6: “He is not here, but is risen.” The post received 75,000 likes and 15,000 reposts at time of filing.
For administrative context, this correspondent notes the following. On September 5, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring the United States Department of War,” which established the Department of War as an official secondary title for the Department of Defense. The order authorised the use of Department of War and Secretary of War in public communications, official correspondence, and non-statutory documents within the executive branch. The stated purpose was to convey a stronger message of readiness and resolve, offensive capabilities, and warrior ethos, replacing a Defense focus with an Offense focus. The legal name of the department remains the Department of Defense. A permanent change requires an act of Congress. The Pentagon began replacing plaques following the order. The website was updated to war.gov. Pete Hegseth, sworn in as Secretary of Defense on January 25, 2025, adopted the title Secretary of War under the order. The department was originally called the War Department upon its creation in 1789, and was renamed the Department of Defense in 1949.
The Secretary of War’s Easter greeting was issued on the same morning the President of the United States published a post to Truth Social announcing that Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day in Iran, and urging Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or be living in Hell. The President’s post closed with the phrase Praise be to Allah. The President subsequently published a second post confirming the event time as Tuesday, 8:00 PM Eastern. At time of filing, the United States military operation in Iran — Operation Epic Fury — has entered its sixth week. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed. Three aircraft were struck on Friday, April 3. The operation has not been designated a war.
The tomb is empty. The power plants have not yet been touched.
Source Block
- Primary: Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) — Easter post, April 5, 2026: https://x.com/SecWar/status/2040792660059816136
- Department of War executive order context: Joint Base San Antonio / Duke Law School
- Screenshots: screenshots/1775427764975_image.png, screenshots/1775427831698_image.png
- Internal cross-references:
- Power Plant Day / Bridge Day:
2026-04-05-trump-power-plant-day-bridge-day-strait.md - Easter prayer programme:
2026-04-01-white-house-easter-franklin-graham-paula-white-esther-trump.md - Three aircraft struck:
2026-04-03-f15e-shot-down-iran-crew-rescue-operation-epic-fury.md
- Power Plant Day / Bridge Day:
