Trump calls Iran conflict 'small potatoes' and says it is not a war
On September 4, 2026, President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the U.S.-Iran conflict is 'small potatoes' and 'intermittent,' agreeing with Vice President JD Vance's assertion that it should not be called a war. Trump compared the 18 U.S. service member deaths to the Vietnam War's toll and cited preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as the conflict's key achievement. Republican Rep. Mike Lawler publicly disagreed with Trump's characterization on September 6, calling the conflict 'certainly not small potatoes.'
- CNNfirst
- Washington Times+6.8 h
- Washington Examiner+7.2 h
- Bloomberg+7.2 h
- Al Jazeera+8.3 h
- PBS NewsHour+9.2 h
- NBC News+9.3 h
- HuffPost+15.7 h
- Politico+52.0 h
- The Hill+53.5 h
- Breitbart+54.2 h
- CBS News+71.0 h
Broad agreement on what happened
Outlets across the spectrum land in roughly the same place: the shared language is highlighted.
“Trump Ripped Apart For 'Absolutely Horrible' Comments About Iran War Being 'Small Potatoes'”HP HuffPost LEFT
“Trump: Iran fighting 'intermittent,' so it is OK not to call it a war”WT Washington Times RIGHT
“WATCH: Trump calls Iran war 'small potatoes' and 'very intermittent' - PBS” · AP News, Politico, PBS NewsHour, Al Jazeera, The Hill, Bloomberg