President Trump's suggestion that Iran could 'take out' Los Angeles and San Diego during a rally has ignited sharp criticism from California officials and a formal denial from the White House, which claims his remarks were misunderstood.
Trump's Remarks and Immediate Backlash
President Donald Trump's comments at a campaign rally in Nebraska on Monday, where he suggested Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego, have drawn sharp criticism from California officials and a formal response from the White House. The remarks, made during a speech defending his administration’s war with Iran, immediately triggered condemnation from Democratic leaders in the state, including Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the president’s statements “deranged and dangerous.”
During the rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, Trump defended rising gas prices as a necessary cost of his administration’s conflict with Iran, stating: “It’s a little bit high. It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let them take, let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon.” The comments were met with cheers from parts of the audience.
California’s political leadership swiftly condemned the remarks. Governor Newsom wrote on X: “Donald Trump is now saying our foreign enemies should 'take out' Los Angeles and San Diego. He is deranged and dangerous.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also criticized the statements, with Bass calling them “threats” and Gloria stating that San Diego is “not collateral damage.”
White House Defends Trump’s Comments
The White House responded on Tuesday, rejecting accusations that Trump was encouraging attacks on U.S. cities. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung stated on X that Trump was referring to the threat posed by Iran, asserting: “He was clearly stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped.” The White House’s Rapid Response account on X dismissed the backlash as a “media freakout” that was “not rooted in reality.”
The White House further argued that the U.S. is safer due to Trump’s actions, claiming Iran currently has “no nuclear [weapons], no navy, no air force, and no money.”
Reactions from California Leaders and Republicans
Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, accused Trump of putting a “target on two of our biggest cities” and directed the state to monitor threats. He described the remarks as “dangerous — if not treasonous.” Other California officials echoed the criticism. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote that the city was “not collateral damage” and demanded Trump “keep it out of his reckless war talk.”
Republican Jim Desmond, a Navy veteran running in a competitive California district, distanced himself from Trump’s comments, stating: “I vehemently disagree with President Trump’s comments. America must stand up to Iran and defend our interests, but the first responsibility of our Commander in Chief is to protect the American people and our homeland.”
Context and Political Implications
Trump has a history of criticizing California, a state with strong Democratic leanings, and his remarks came amid a broader strategy to rally his base in red states ahead of the November midterm elections. The comments also followed reports that the White House had diverted $20 million from the Department of Homeland Security to fund pro-Trump TV ads, which Democrats have described as illegal campaign spending.
The White House has defended the ads as “public service announcements,” though critics argue they violate federal laws prohibiting the use of taxpayer funds for campaign activities. California officials have called for federal watchdogs to investigate the spending.
Trump has not directly addressed the criticism of his remarks, and the White House has not provided further clarification on his intended meaning beyond the initial rebuttal.