Donald Trump suggested Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego during a campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, prompting sharp condemnation from California leaders who called the remarks “reckless” and “deranged.”
Rally remarks spark outrage
Speaking to supporters in ruby red Nebraska on Monday night, Trump expressed hope for a “tremendous victory” in the upcoming November midterm elections. He then suggested that high prices resulting from the war with Iran were a “small price to pay for keeping the world safe – keeping our country safe.”
“They can take out a city,” Trump said in Grand Island. “Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego.” The crowd applauded. “It’ll be over very soon,” he added of the war.
California leaders respond
Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the comments on X, saying: “After sending the National Guard and Marines to occupy California, Donald Trump is now saying our foreign enemies should ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego. He is deranged and dangerous.”
Newsom, a Democrat who has clashed with Trump throughout his two terms, added from his press office account: “Let’s be clear: The President is advocating for an attack on 10+ million U.S. residents in two of America’s largest cities. This is not normal. None of this is. And we will continue to remind folks of that every day.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass assailed the president for making what she called “irresponsible threats” that “could potentially compromise” the safety of America’s second-largest city. “The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives,” she said in a statement.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote on X that his city was “not collateral damage” in the president’s war. “We are not expendable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay.’ Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.” San Diego, the nation’s eighth-largest city, is home to critical US military infrastructure.
Debate over meaning
Online, the comments – part of a rambling, nearly hour-and-a-half speech – sparked debate about what the president actually meant. Some conservative activists argued Trump was referring to high gas prices as a “small price to pay,” not the capacity of Iran to “take out” a US city.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. US defence officials have previously stated that Iran currently lacks the capability to launch a direct missile attack on the US mainland.
Trump has argued in previous speeches that allowing Iran to develop a nuclear weapon would threaten US cities. In his last state of the union speech he claimed Iran was working to build missiles that would “soon” reach US soil.
In Nebraska, where an unexpectedly close Senate race has rattled Republicans, Trump insisted he was “doing great” and urged supporters to pretend his name was on the ballot in November. But in California, where Trump-endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is seeking an upset, the comments were unwelcome.
“Thirteen million Californians call LA and San Diego counties home,” said Xavier Becerra, the Democratic nominee for governor. “Their lives are not a ‘small price to pay’ or a punchline for Donald Trump.”
