Trump says he calls it "a military conflict" and could "see somebody not calling it a war"
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, answering reporters in the Oval Office
President Trump answers a reporter's question about whether the conflict with Iran is a war, at an executive order signing in the Oval Office, Sept. 4, 2026.
Excerpt from about 25:29 to 29:54 of the White House video of the event. The C-SPAN recording cited for this source shows the same exchange. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: The White House. Public domain (U.S. government work) (opens in a new tab)
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: Clip of Trump's Oval Office exchange with reporters, September 4, 2026)
Asked what the fighting is if it is not a war, Trump said he calls it "a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us." He said the strikes are intermittent, that he could understand what Vance was saying, and that he could "see somebody not calling it a war."
Responding to
Vice President JD Vance said he would not call the U.S. fight with Iran a war, saying there is no active shooting right now and that major combat operations lasted about six weeks.
“Well, I'll tell you what, a lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing. ... So I can understand what he's saying. It's a military conflict, but it's very intermittent. I could see somebody not calling it a war.”
Original video
Original text
Reporting
Other statements by Donald Trump in this case
- Trump says he does not know if the Iran fighting is still a warLater: Mixed or conditional
- Trump says America did not start a war with IranLater: Mixed or conditional
Where this statement fits
Is the U.S. fight with Iran a war, as Vice President Vance says it is not?
At a White House press briefing on September 3, 2026, Vice President JD Vance was asked whether the fighting with Iran would be over before the midterm elections. He said, "I wouldn't call it a war. Right now, there is no active shooting," and said major combat operations lasted about six weeks. The next day President Trump said he calls it "a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us." Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Thomas Massie and Democrat Amy McGrath, a former Marine pilot, criticized the description or Trump's defense of it. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the U.S. is "still in a conflict, for sure," and, as quoted by Al Arabiya English, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson called the fighting "an overt military aggression." The dispute is whether describing the fighting as not a war is an accurate and acceptable characterization.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
C-SPAN's clip of President Trump answering reporters' questions in the Oval Office the day after Vance's briefing. C-SPAN's summary says Trump does not view the fighting as a war and quotes his remark that it is small potatoes for the U.S.
Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Original text
About this source
Roll Call Factbase's transcript of the Oval Office event at which Trump signed an executive order and took questions from reporters. It contains his answers about whether the fighting with Iran is a war.
Reporting
About this source
AP's report on Trump's Oval Office remarks on September 4, 2026. It reports that 18 U.S. service members had died in the conflict and that the war began February 28.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Trump was answering reporters in the Oval Office the day after Vance said he would not call the fighting a war.
After the quotation
Trump said 18 people were lost in the conflict and compared that with deaths in Vietnam and other conflicts. He also said Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Trump endorses Vance's description. He says he can understand it, explains his own label by the size and intermittent pace of the fighting, and says he could see someone not calling it a war. His small potatoes remark also downplays the fighting, but the reference point is the label, so defends or excuses fits better than minimizes.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full caseVance says the U.S. has been involved in Iran in some form and will not let it become a forever war
“We’ve been involved in Iran in some form for seven months. The United States has been dealing with Iran for 47 years, and I promise you that Donald Trump is not going to let Iran become a forever war.”Read statement
Vance tells Tucker Carlson that Abdul El-Sayed agrees with him "about the Iran war"
“Okay, Abdul el Sayed is a guy who you agree with him about the Iran war, and I understand that. But wait a second, this is a guy who says that the Iran conflict is a problem because it violates international law”Read statement
White House opposes a resolution directing removal of U.S. forces from Iran hostilities
The White House
“The Administration strongly opposes passage of H. Con. Res. 89, a resolution that purports to direct the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.”Read statement
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- Trump says he calls it "a military conflict" and could "see somebody not calling it a war"
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The Dispute Index. "Trump says he calls it "a military conflict" and could "see somebody not calling it a war"". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2700-asked-what-the-fighting-is-if-it-is