Analysis
What the official said
“The spouse of the Secretary of War shall serve as Chair.”
Claimant: Donald J. Trump President of the United States
Agency or office: Executive Office of the President
Context
Text of Executive Order published in the Federal Register on August 6, 2026, establishing the President's Military Spouse Commission and specifying membership and administrative provisions.
Evidence
The Federal Register publication of Executive Order 14417 explicitly creates the President's Military Spouse Commission and contains the clause naming 'the spouse of the Secretary of War' as Chair. That wording is notable because the statutory office 'Secretary of War' and the 'Department of War' were replaced by reorganizations after 1947 (National Security Act of 1947), which established the Department of Defense and reorganized military department leadership. The use of the obsolete office title raises practical and legal questions about who, if anyone, is meant to serve as Chair and how the order would be administered.