Massie calls the "semantics" over the word war "an insult to the men and women fighting the war"
Thomas MassieU.S. representative from Kentucky (R), speaking to the Washington Examiner
Massie told the Washington Examiner that Vance and other advisers avoid calling it a war because acknowledging a war would mean acknowledging a violation of the 1973 War Powers Act. He called "playing these semantics" an insult to the men and women fighting the war and asked why the administration does not seek congressional approval "so they can call a war 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.
“But the vice president and other sophisticated advisers recognize that to acknowledge it’s a war is to acknowledge they’re in violation of the 1973 War Powers Act, which allows them only 90 days to engage before they must withdraw or get congressional approval ... I think playing these semantics is an insult to the men and women fighting the war and to those who’ve already sacrificed ... Why not attempt to get the constitutionally and legally mandated congressional approval so they can call a war a war?”
Reporting
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
Reporting
About this source
The Washington Examiner's report on comments Massie made to the outlet on Thursday, September 3, 2026, the day of Vance's briefing. The article quotes Massie directly.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Massie spoke to the Washington Examiner on the day of Vance's briefing. He said Trump is less careful with his rhetoric than Vance and routinely says the U.S. is winning the war.
After the quotation
The Washington Examiner reported that Massie has consistently voted to curb the president's ability to engage in military action.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Massie rejects the not-a-war description as semantics that insult service members and says it is meant to avoid the War Powers Act. He goes beyond disputing the label to denouncing it, so condemns fits better than challenges the characterization.
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- JD Vance
More from this case
Read the full caseTrump says America did not start a war with Iran
“America did not start a war with Iran. Iran has been waging war on America since 1979. ... We lost 18 beautiful souls ... When this conflict is over, and it will be soon”Read statement
Trump says he does not know if the Iran fighting is still a war
“I don't know if you even call it a war because we haven't been doing any fighting for months.”Read statement
Vance 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
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The Dispute Index. "Massie calls the "semantics" over the word war "an insult to the men and women fighting the war"". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2702-massie-told-the-washington-examiner-that-vance-and