Evening Brief: Trump Signs Order to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War, Israel Expands Gaza Offensive With High-Rise Strike

· Guy D. McCardle

An An aerial view of the Pentagon. (Wikimedia Commons)

Evening rundown for Friday, September 5, 2025.

 

Trump Signs Order to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War

President Donald Trump signed an executive order rebranding the Department of Defense with its original name, the Department of War, as a secondary title.

The move avoids the need for congressional approval while legislation is introduced to make the change permanent.

Trump argued the old name more accurately reflects US military victories and the department’s mission, saying the shift signals a return to “offense, not just defense.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth framed the rebrand as a return to military strength, emphasizing offense over defense. Critics noted the symbolic shift and escalation contrast with Trump’s past claims of being an “anti-war president.”

Congressional approval will still be required for a permanent renaming.

 

Federal Agents Detain 475 in Georgia Raid at Hyundai EV Plant Construction Site

Federal immigration agents said Friday that they have detained 475 people, most of them South Korean nationals, in a raid at Hyundai’s $7.6 billion electric vehicle (EV) plant in Georgia.

Homeland Security Investigations said the action followed a months-long probe into illegal hiring and was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the agency’s history. The raid focused on a battery plant under construction alongside Hyundai’s EV facility, where workers were employed by contractors and subcontractors.

South Korea expressed concern, dispatching diplomats to the site and criticizing the treatment of its citizens.

Immigration officials said detainees included people who overstayed visas or entered under visa waivers that barred employment, while some crossed the border illegally.

No charges have been filed yet.

Hyundai and LG, partners in the battery plant, said they are cooperating with authorities and stressed that none of the detainees were directly employed by Hyundai.

The Democratic Party of Georgia condemned the raid as politically motivated, while Republican leaders, including Governor Brian Kemp, emphasized that companies must follow the law.

Operations at Hyundai’s main EV plant were not disrupted. The battery facility is scheduled to open next year.

 

Georgia Governor Kemp Sends 316 National Guard Troops to Washington in Support of Trump Operation

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that 316 members of the state’s National Guard will deploy to Washington, D.C., in mid-September to support President Donald Trump’s ongoing law enforcement operation.

Kemp said the troops may be armed and will relieve earlier deployments from other states. Georgia already sent 16 soldiers this week in non-policing roles.

The move adds to contributions from seven other Republican-led states after Trump took control of the D.C. police department and extended National Guard orders through December.

The deployment has drawn criticism. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit calling the operation an unlawful use of the military for domestic law enforcement, while Georgia Democrats labeled it unconstitutional and a threat to civil liberties.

The White House maintains the president has the authority to use the Guard to protect federal assets and assist law enforcement.

Kemp previously committed 75 Georgia Guard members to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations within the state, and has long backed sending troops to the southern border.

 

Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Ending Protections for Haitians and Venezuelans

A federal judge in San Francisco blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than one million people from Haiti and Venezuela.

US District Judge Edward Chen ruled that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she reversed three extensions granted by the previous administration, calling her decision arbitrary and capricious.

The ruling secures legal status and work rights for about 600,000 Venezuelans whose protections had expired or were set to end this month.

TPS allows people to remain in the United States if their home countries face unsafe conditions such as natural disasters, political unrest, or economic collapse. Haiti has faced severe instability since its 2010 earthquake, while Venezuela continues to struggle with political and economic crises.

The Department of Homeland Security has not yet commented on the ruling, as of writing.

 

Trump Administration Grants Sanctions Waiver for Equatorial Guinea VP to Travel to US

The Trump administration is preparing a one-month sanctions waiver for Equatorial Guinea’s vice president, Teodoro “Teddy” Nguema Obiang, allowing him to attend the UN General Assembly in New York and visit other US cities.

Obiang, son of Africa’s longest-serving president, has long faced corruption allegations and US sanctions over embezzlement and lavish spending. He has been convicted in France, forced to forfeit assets in the US, and had properties seized in South Africa.

US officials said the waiver is intended to blunt China’s growing influence in Equatorial Guinea, where Beijing seeks to build a naval base, and to protect American oil and gas interests. They added that refusing entry could severely damage relations.

The decision comes as the administration restricts visas for many foreign nationals, including Palestinian leaders and students involved in pro-Palestinian activism.

Equatorial Guinea remains one of Africa’s most resource-rich yet impoverished countries, with over 70 percent of its population living in poverty while ruling elites are accused of plundering state wealth.

The State Department has not publicly commented on the waiver.

 

Israel Expands Gaza Offensive With High-Rise Strike as Civilian Toll Mounts, Protests Grow

Israel struck a high-rise in Gaza City on Friday after issuing evacuation warnings, part of a broader push to seize control of the city where over one million Palestinians face famine.

The military said Hamas used high-rises for surveillance and ambush planning, and pledged more “precise, targeted strikes.” Health officials reported 27 killed in overnight strikes, including six from one family. Israel has mobilized tens of thousands of reservists and declared Gaza City a combat zone, sparking domestic protests over the fate of 48 hostages still held by Hamas.

Hamas released a video showing two hostages under duress pleading for an end to the war.

The conflict, triggered by Hamas’ October 7 attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel, has since killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Israel says the war will continue until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are freed, while Hamas demands prisoner releases, a ceasefire, and Israeli withdrawal.

Tensions also escalated in the West Bank, where settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Khallet A-Daba, injuring at least nine.

Meanwhile, Israeli and Palestinian rights groups condemned new US sanctions on Palestinian NGOs, which Washington linked to the International Criminal Court’s investigation of Israeli leaders. Activists warned the measures would cripple long-standing human rights work.

 

Lebanon Cabinet Backs Away From Deadline on Hezbollah Disarmament Plan

Lebanon’s Cabinet reviewed an army plan to disarm Hezbollah and consolidate weapons under state control but dropped its earlier deadline to complete the process by year’s end.

The session was disrupted when Hezbollah and Amal ministers, joined by an allied Shiite minister, walked out in protest as Army Commander General Rudolph Haikal arrived.

Hezbollah has rejected the plan as illegal and vowed to ignore it.

Information Minister Paul Morcos said the army would begin implementing the plan within its limited resources and at its own discretion, but gave no new timeline. He also accused Israel of violating a US-brokered ceasefire by occupying Lebanese territory and carrying out near-daily airstrikes.

Israel says its strikes aim to block Hezbollah from rearming and protect its border communities.

Hezbollah remains under domestic and international pressure to disarm, but its officials insist they will not surrender weapons until Israel withdraws from Lebanese land and halts attacks. Officials fear any forced disarmament could spark civil conflict.

The disarmament debate comes as Lebanon struggles with postwar devastation, an $11 billion reconstruction bill, and ongoing Israeli strikes that killed four people and injured 17 this week.

 

Kim Jong Un Emerges as Confident Diplomat at Beijing Gathering of World Leaders

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un showcased new confidence on the global stage during a high-profile trip to Beijing, where he joined Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and two dozen other leaders at events marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end.

Kim pledged support for Russia in its war against Ukraine, strengthened ties with China, and appeared at ease alongside major Eurasian figures. He even brought his daughter, signaling dynastic continuity.

Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong Un returns to Pyongyang with his daughter Kim Ju-ae after China visit, September 5, 2025. (KCNA)

The visit marks a stark transformation from Kim’s early years, when his rule was seen as fragile and violent. Since his summits with President Trump in 2018 and 2019, Kim has increasingly used international diplomacy to bolster North Korea’s standing while continuing weapons testing and military expansion.

Experts say the Beijing trip enhances his leverage in future negotiations, even as questions remain over stalled talks with Washington on his nuclear program.

Kim’s visibility alongside Xi and Putin signals his evolution from isolated strongman to calculated realist, blending authoritarian rule with diplomacy to advance North Korea’s interests.

 

Philippines Completes South China Sea Outpost Resupply Amid Chinese Military Presence

Philippine forces delivered food, fuel, and new personnel Friday to the BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57) outpost at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, officials confirmed.

The supply run, delayed for weeks over security concerns, was completed without incident despite recent Chinese water cannon drills and the deployment of additional coast guard and suspected militia vessels near the contested reef.

Two US Navy destroyers were also on patrol in the region during the operation, though officials did not clarify if the missions were coordinated.

China has repeatedly demanded the removal of the grounded Sierra Madre, which the Philippines intentionally beached in 1999 to assert its territorial claim.

The delivery marks at least the ninth successful resupply since Manila and Beijing signed a temporary nonaggression deal in 2024 to prevent clashes at the shoal. Tensions remain high after China recently reinforced its presence with armed vessels, a helicopter, and a drone.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro condemned China’s actions as violations of international law, while reaffirming Manila’s resolve to defend its sovereignty under its Exclusive Economic Zone.

 

Sources: News Agencies