On Friday, the evening newscasts largely avoided the news of a better-than-expected August jobs report as the U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs. The only mention from any of the network evening newscasts came on ABC World News Tonight in a very brief moment inside a segment that bashed President Trump’s comments on the Iran conflict, which he called “small potatoes.”
NBC Nightly News also covered the same “small potatoes” line in a report that focused on Iran, while CBS Evening News nightime Turmp focus was on Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One and the possible start of the D.C. ‘Arc de Trump’ project.
ABC’s report began with fill-in host Whit Johnson boasting how Democrats were “blasting” Trump’s “small potatoes” comments.
On Friday, ABC and NBC’s evening newscasts both bashed Trump comments that called the Iran conflict “small potatoes,” as ABC exclaimed Democrats were “pouncing.”
However, in the middle of ABC’s Trump-bashing report, the network made the only evening newscast mention of a… pic.twitter.com/r6KoPqwHQS— Nick (@nspin310) September 5, 2026
Reporter Jay O’Brien then led the report and stated, "Tonight, less than 24 hours after his vice president refused to say the U.S. Was at war with Iran. President Trump calling the conflict that's taken the lives of 18 Americans ‘small potatoes.’”
O’Brien then turned to play a conversation between ABC senior political correspondent Rachel Scott and Turmp were he made the comments. Here is that exchange (Click “expand”):
RACHEL SCOTT: Can you explain to the American people that if this is not a war, what exactly is it?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I'll tell you what. A lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing.
SCOTT: It certainly doesn't feel like small potatoes. 18 service members have died. We're seeing record-long deployments. You initially said this would last.
TRUMP: Why is it record low?
SCOTT: Well, the 82nd Airborne is now being extended to a year.
TRUMP: How long were we in Vietnam?
O’Brien then noted Trump did mention the 18 lost service members: “Trump later acknowledging the human toll of this war.”
Then, ABC shockingly snuck in a brief mention of the jobs report:
But today, President Trump touting a bright spot for the economy, a stronger-than-expected jobs report showing unemployment holding steady at just above 4 percent.
O’Brien closed as he exclaimed, “Democrats are pouncing on those comments from the president talking about that conflict with Iran that's cost the lives of Americans, calling it small potatoes.”
NBC Nightly News also took issue with Trump’s “small potatoes” comments and cited the loss of 18 U.S. service members in the conflict, which Trump did mention in his Oval Office press gathering. pic.twitter.com/7mlTiPyGup
— Nick (@nspin310) September 5, 2026
While ABC did the bare minimum, NBC did an alike report on Iran with White House correspondent Gabe Guttierez but made no mention of the jobs report in its Trump news segment:
Guttierez began, “Tonight, despite the U.S. and Iran trading airstrikes, average gas prices topping $4 a gallon, and the deaths of 18 American service members, President Trump says he agrees with the vice president that this is not a war.”
CBS Evening News’s Trump News focus on Friday? Plans for the newly gifted Air Force One to be flown to Ireland on an upcoming Trump trip along with new construction plans for the ‘Arc de Trump.’ https://t.co/nULr3V4FH3 pic.twitter.com/fXelHVpru0
— Nick (@nspin310) September 5, 2026
Additionally, CBS took a different path on its Trump administration story of the day and instead focused on the gifted Air Force One and construction of the ‘Arc de Trump’ outside Arlington National Cemetery.
CBS Evening News Anchor Tony Dokoupil introduced the story: “We also have news tonight on a pair of President Trump's favorite things. Construction is set to begin on a 260-foot triumphal arch named the ‘Arc de Trump’ across from the Lincoln Memorial. And a change of plans for the new Air Force One gifted to the president by the government of Qatar.”
White House correspondent Weijia Jiang reported and worried over the safety of the new Air Force One that will now be used for a presidential trip to Ireland in coming weeks. She also revived the Turkey plane switch story in the process:
Trump's trip will mark the first flight overseas since Trump ditched it on his way home from Turkey in July when he secretly swapped planes due to the Iranian threat.
Jiang also had time to complain about the construction of a D.C. Arch: “From a new ride to a new construction project. The administration announced it'll start excavation work in the next two weeks to build a 250-foot-tall arch near Arlington National Cemetery across the river from the Lincoln Memorial. The National Park Service said the project would disrupt views around the city.”
The transcripts from ABC, NBC, and CBS are below. Click "expand":
ABC World News Tonight
September 4, 2026
6:41:08 PM Eastern
WHIT JOHNSON: Democrats blasting the latest comments from President Trump calling the war with Iran ‘small potatoes. Those remarks after being asked about J.D. Vance’s recent words on the ongoing conflict. ABC's Jay O'Brien at the white house tonight.
[Cuts to video]
JAY O’BRIEN: Tonight, less than 24 hours after his vice president refused to say the U.S. Was at war with Iran. President Trump calling the conflict that's taken the lives of 18 Americans ‘small potatoes.’
Our Rachel Scott pressing the president.
RACHEL SCOTT: Can you explain to the American people that if this is not a war, what exactly is it?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I'll tell you what. A lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing.
SCOTT: It certainly doesn't feel like small potatoes. 18 service members have died. We're seeing record-long deployments. You initially said this would last.
TRUMP: Why is it record low?
SCOTT: Well, the 82nd airborne is now being extended to a year.
TRUMP: How long were we in Vietnam?
O’BRIEN: Trump later acknowledging the human toll of this war.
TRUMP: We lost 18 souls, 18 great souls. I was there to greet the families of those people at Dover, and they're great.
O’BRIEN: It comes as the war is driving fuel costs sky-high. Diesel, the lifeblood of the U.S. Supply chain, reaching a new record high, pushing up prices on everything from groceries to clothes to furniture.
But today, President Trump touting a bright spot for the economy, a stronger-than-expected jobs report showing unemployment holding steady at just above 4 percent.
TRUMP: It's been amazing. And today they announced 162,000 jobs - new jobs.
[Cuts back to live]
O’BRIEN: And Whit, Democrats are pouncing on those comments from the president talking about that conflict with Iran that's cost the lives of Americans, calling it small potatoes. The top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, saying tonight there's, quote, ‘Nothing small about it.’ Whit?
(...)
NBC Nightly News
September 4, 2026
6:38:01 PM Eastern
KATE SNOW: To the White House now, and that new headline from President Trump six months into the war with Iran, calling the conflict small potatoes for the U.S. Here's Gabe Gutierrez.
[Cuts to video]
GABE GUTIERREZ: Tonight, despite the U.S. and Iran trading airstrikes, average gas prices topping $4 a gallon, and the deaths of 18 American service members, President Trump says he agrees with the vice president that this is not a war.
TRUMP: A lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing.
GUTIERREZ: Comparing the number of lives lost to other conflicts.
TRUMP: We lost 18 souls. 18 great souls. I was there to greet the families of those people and they're great. Very friendly with some of the families. They were incredible families. But -- and one is too much. But in Vietnam, we lost tens of thousands of people. In Afghanistan, we lost a lot.
GUTIERREZ: And touting U.S. Efforts to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, protecting them from Iranian attacks.
TRUMP: We're not fighting right now. There's no fighting. We're taking out a lot of oil.
GUTIERREZ: Initially, the Trump Administration projected the war would be over in weeks.
TRUMP: We projected four to five weeks.
GUTIERREZ: It's now past the six-month mark.
TRUMP: But we've been in there for five months, and in five months, what did we do? We stopped them from having a nuclear weapon.
[Cuts back to live]
GUTIERREZ: The president also saying the U.S. Might attack a key Iranian nuclear site, Pickaxe Mountain, very soon if Iran tries to restart it. Kate?
(...)
CBS Evening News
September 4, 2026
6:41:08 PM Eastern
TONY DOKOUPIL: We also have news tonight on a pair of President Trump's favorite things. Construction is set to begin on a 260-foot triumphal arch named the ‘Arc de Trump’ across from the Lincoln Memorial. And a change of plans for the new Air Force One gifted to the president by the government of Qatar. Here's CBS correspondent Weijia Jiang.
[Cuts to video]
WEIJA JIANG: Next week President Trump plans to take the Qatari-gifted Air Force One to Ireland, even though today he revealed it will not yet be maxed out with critical security upgrades.
TRUMP: It has a lot of stuff, but to max it out meaning you can go into any territory, it'll take about 60 days. It's being sent in October to be maxed.
JIANG: Trump's trip will mark the first flight overseas since Trump ditched it on his way home from Turkey in July when he secretly swapped planes due to the Iranian threat.
From a new ride to a new construction project. The administration announced it'll start excavation work in the next two weeks to build a 250-foot-tall arch near Arlington National Cemetery across the river from the Lincoln Memorial. The National Park Service said the project would disrupt views around the city.
CHARLES BIRNBAUM: They'll forever destroy an iconic work of landscape architecture that on all accounts is not only symbolic, but it is a masterpiece that's a celebration of our nation.
JIANG: Neither a federal review panel nor Congress approved the project, but Trump indicated the administration is moving forward.
TRUMP: No, no, we are doing it. The land is owned by the Interior Department. We don't need anything from Congress.
[Cuts back to live]
JIANG: A group of veterans has filed an emergency request asking a federal judge to block work on the arch from starting, but the White House argues Congress authorized two 166-foot columns at roughly the same location over 100 years ago, which were never built, so they say approval is not necessary. Tony?
(...)
