Trump calls Iran conflict 'small potatoes' and says he agrees with Vance that it's not a 'war'

David Brooks of The Atlantic and Jonathan Capehart of MS NOW join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including President Trump's remarks calling the conflict with Iran "small potatoes," the president's influence over the midterm elections, how Democrats are campaigning and Sen. Susan Collins' remarks on choosing relevance in the GOP over standing on principle. Trump says Iran war is 'small potatoes' for US President Donald Trump said Friday that the Iran war was "small potatoes" for the United States, in his administration's latest bid to play down the war ahead of crucial midterm elections.

Trump's comments came a day after Vice President JD Vance said that "I wouldn't call it a war" despite an upsurge in clashes between Iran and the United States over the Strait of Hormuz. "A lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about Vance's remarks.

We did Venezuela, and we did this," added Trump, who was surrounded by cattle ranchers invited for the signing of two executive orders on beef processing. The US president seemed to downplay the intensity of a conflict that's cost US taxpayers more than US$37.5 billion and left 18 American service members dead. I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us.

President Donald Trump compared the Iran war to “small potatoes” when asked about whether he would only describe it as a “military conflict.” US President Donald Trump called the Iran war small potatoes, saying only 18 Americans had been killed. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday said the conflict in Iran is “small potatoes” as he defended Vice President JD Vance for asserting that months of on-and-off attacks in the Middle East are not a “war.”Asked during an Oval Office exchange about Vance’s comments made a day earlier, Trump noted that U.S.

strikes on Iran are now “intermittent” and seemed to downplay the intensity of a war that's cost U.S. taxpayers more than $37.5 billion and left 18 U.S. service members dead.“I can understand what he’s saying,” said Trump.

He added, “I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing."Vance on Thursday, during a White House press briefing, rejected the use of the word “war” to describe the U.S. fighting with Iran and steered clear of predicting that the 6-month-old conflict would be over by November’s midterm elections, in which Republicans are trying to hang on to their narrow majorities in Congress.“I wouldn’t call it a war,” Vance said after being asked during a White House press briefing about whether the fighting could end before voters cast their ballots in the Nov.