Seth Meyers schooled MAGA with the dictionary definition of “war,” as top officials and right-wing media pundits insist that the war on Iran is anything but an actual war.
The late-night host said that while “everything about this war has been unclear,” MAGA seems to overwhelmingly agree that “it is not a war” and is “desperate” to avoid calling it that. The show panned to clips of several prominent voices explaining why, with many calling it a “conflict” or “combat operations” instead.
One such voice is that of Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council since the start of Donald Trump’s second term in the White House. In an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation, Hassett told host Margaret Brennan, “I don’t know what the definition of war is...”
Meyers responded to Hassett’s assertion, pulling out a dictionary during his show.
“Well, you’re in luck, my man. I got it right here,” he said as the audience laughed. “Ahem, it’s a small, benign growth on the skin or mucous membrane. Wait, my bad. That’s wart,” Meyers joked.
“Man, being one letter off really does make a difference. Here we go,” he continued, in an imitation of Trump’s voice.
The host then read the official definition of war: “It’s ‘a state of armed conflict between nations characterized by military operations.’ See, I don’t need you, Alexa!”
During his CBS appearance, Brennan asked Hassett twice whether America is at war with Iran. According to the official transcript of the interview, Hassett actually said, “I don’t know what the definition of war is when we’re not shooting, and we’re negotiating, and they’re under a lot of pressure. There’s no reason, I think, right now, to do anything other than what we’re doing.”
Meyers said that while Republicans are persisting in avoiding the word, the president himself has called it “a war” several times over several events.
“But at some point, someone must have whispered in Trump’s ear to stop calling the war he started without approval from Congress a war, because that would be illegal,” Meyers said afterward. “So he started using some other dumber euphemisms.” The show displayed clips of Trump calling the war an “excursion,” “journey,” and even “mini-war,” instead.
