Trump says he does not know if the Iran fighting is still a war
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States
President Trump speaks about Iran and the Strait of Hormuz at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, November 2, 2026.
Excerpt from 51:36 to 52:31 of the White House video. 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: 51:36 to 52:31, remarks on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz)
Trump says the United States had a war with Iran and won it, then says he does not know if it should still be called a war because there has been no fighting for months. He says the U.S. controls the Strait of Hormuz and credits the conflict with falling oil prices.
“I don't know if you even call it a war because we haven't been doing any fighting for months.”
Original video
Original text
Reporting
Other statements by Donald Trump in this case
- Trump says he calls it "a military conflict" and could "see somebody not calling it a war"Earlier: Defended or excused
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
Official White House video of Trump's remarks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington on November 2, 2026, the day before the midterm elections.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Original text
About this source
Roll Call Factbase transcript of Trump's November 2 remarks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Associated Press report, carried by ABC7 New York, that a U.S. official confirmed defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz on November 2. It also reports diplomatic contacts and quotes Trump's remarks that day.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Speaking at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool the day before the midterm elections, Trump said: "we had a war with Iran, we won."
After the quotation
A U.S. official confirmed the same day that U.S. forces had conducted defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Trump calls the fighting a war the U.S. won, then questions whether the term still applies, so his remark both uses and doubts the war description.
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- 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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The Dispute Index. "Trump says he does not know if the Iran fighting is still a war". First published: 2026-11-06. Last updated: 2026-11-06. https://disputeindex.com/events/8195-trump-says-the-united-states-had-a-war