GOP Rep Lawler challenges Trump on Iran war: 'It is certainly not small potatoes'
WASHINGTON, DC: GOP Representative Mike Lawler, who often breaks ranks with President Donald Trump on several issues, including data centers and his remarks on Obama, has once again rebuked the president over his Iran war statement.
Lawler reproved the commander-in-chief over his recent remark on the Iran war, where Trump tried to downplay the conflict in the Middle East by calling it "small potatoes" and stating it is "not a big thing" for the United States.
Republican Congressman Mike Lawler disagrees with President Trump calling the Iran War "small potatoes": "Anytime you are at war or in a military escalation, it is certainly not small potatoes. It is serious." pic.twitter.com/li0TAFkcIm
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) September 6, 2026
Mike Lawler calls Iran conflict a serious matter
Appearing on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ with Dana Bash on Sunday, September 6, the representative for New York's 17th congressional district, Mike Lawler, pushed back against Trump’s description of the Iran war, arguing that the war is “not small potatoes” but a “serious” affair.
“Any time you are at war or in a military escalation, it is certainly not small potatoes. It is serious. I think we all recognize that,” Lawler told Dana Bash, referencing recent comments from the president.
“Ensuring Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon, stopping them from continuing to finance t*******m... stopping them from mass-producing ballistic missiles, drones, which are being used by Russia against Ukraine, is critical,” he added.
In the Oval Office on Friday, Trump said he was referring to the Iran war as “a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us.”
“It’s not a big thing,” the president added.
Notably, the Iran war hit the six-month mark on Friday, but there is no concrete ceasefire or major output from the intermittent peace talks between the parties.
Part of the Iran war could last generations
Chris Wright now says there may be no deal with Iran after all: "There may not be a nuclear agreement. It may be simply destroying their capabilities to do it. An agreement may await the next administration in Iran. We simply don't know that." pic.twitter.com/AxFGWjDMYr
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 6, 2026
Trump’s Energy Secretary Chris Wright, in an interview with ABC’s Martha Raddatz on ‘This Week’ on Sunday, said that the US will continue destroying Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons and missiles.
He also said the US Navy was working to prevent Iranian oil and other exports from leaving the country as part of an effort to pressure Tehran.
The war between the US and Iran strained US relationships with historic allies, driving up oil and gas prices and proving unpopular with the American public in recent polling.
BASH: "Isn't it possible gas prices could go up even more?"
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) September 6, 2026
WRIGHT: "I don't want to have an opinion on that... The Trump administration is doing everything we can to drive energy prices down, as we have since the day we arrived in office."
BASH: "Respectfully, as the energy… pic.twitter.com/Ca1ZHhSu2E
Wright, in a separate appearance on ‘State of the Union’, said he did not “want to have an opinion” on the direction of gas prices Americans are paying, which are above $4 per gallon on average.
“You said on this show five months ago that high gas prices had peaked, but between not just the Iran war, but the Russia-Ukraine war and the US’s own dwindling reserves, isn’t it possible gas prices could go up even more?” Bash asked Wright.
“Look, I don’t want to have an opinion on that, but if you look at the futures market right now, what can you buy gasoline for two months in advance from where we are today? It’s down more than 30 cents a gallon from where it is today,” Wright responded.
