Trump Calls Iran Conflict 'Small Potatoes,' Sparking Outrage Over Troop Deaths and Deployments
Key Takeaways
- •President Trump described the conflict with Iran as a "military conflict" and "small potatoes" rather than a war during an Oval Office exchange on Friday.
- •Trump dismissed concerns about record-long deployments by comparing the five-month conflict to the length of the Vietnam War.
- •At least 18 people have died in the conflict, which began earlier this year.
- •The president's comments drew sharp criticism, including from Rep. Chris Deluzio, a Democrat and Iraq War veteran, who accused Trump of disrespecting troops.
- •The exchange has fueled the ongoing debate in Washington over presidential war powers and Congress's constitutional role in authorizing military force.
President Donald Trump downplayed the severity of the Iran war when pressed by reporters in the Oval Office during an executive order signing ceremony on Friday.
ABC's Rachel Scott noted that "The Vice President said yesterday that he would not describe the conflict with Iran as a war… If this is not a war, what exactly is it?" Trump replied: "I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing."
When a reporter reminded the president that 18 people have died in the conflict and that service members are facing "record-long deployments," Trump pushed back: "Why is it record long? How long were we in Vietnam? We're in 5 months now."
The comments — delivered publicly by a commander in chief whose constitutional role under Article II includes acting as the military's top authority — drew immediate and sharp criticism on social media. The exchange also plays into a broader, long-running debate in Washington over presidential war powers, as Congress has repeatedly sought to reassert its constitutional role in authorizing military force in recent decades with limited success.
"A quote — 'small potatoes' — that Republicans would absolutely hang over the head of a Dem president if he uttered it," wrote The Bulwark's Sam Stein. "Underscores the disparity in the messaging machines between the two parties." (x.com/samstein)
"Ordering Americans into harm's way is maybe the most solemn and serious responsibility of the Commander in Chief. And this guy calls it small potatoes?" wrote Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), himself a veteran of the Iraq War. "Every chicken hawk cheerleading this reckless war owns his disrespect of our troops and their patriotism." (x.com/ChrisForPA)
"Every day he does the most un-American thing possible, and every day it's something new," wrote Tucson-based attorney Joe St. Louis. "I thought I was numb to his callousness, but God this makes by blood boil." (x.com/Josephpstlouis)
The exchange marked the latest flashpoint in the political debate over the conflict, which began earlier this year, with the president's characterization of the fighting drawing criticism as casualties mount and as questions persist about how the administration defines the scope and duration of US involvement. (Raw Story)
