Iranupdated 1m ago2 min read
Trump Suggests Iran Take Out Los Angeles And San Diego, Gavin Newsom Condemns
Trump suggested Iran could attack Los Angeles and San Diego at a Nebraska rally. California leaders condemned the remarks as deranged and dangerous.
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Trump’s Iran remarks
President Donald Trump suggested Iran could "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego during a campaign rally in Nebraska, and he framed the idea as "a small price to pay" for keeping the world safe and keeping the country safe.
ABC News reported that Trump made the remarks in Nebraska and that California leaders condemned them, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, who called the comments "deranged and dangerous."
Trump told the crowd, "They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego," and he added that it was "essentially almost over with."
Trump also pivoted to the idea that Iran would have been capable of taking out a U.S. city if it had been allowed to pursue its nuclear weapons program, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.
California leaders hit back
Gov. Gavin Newsom denounced Trump’s remarks in a post on social media, writing, "Let’s be clear: The President is advocating for an attack on 10+ million U.S. residents in two of America’s largest cities."
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the comments as "dangerous," writing that the president suggested a foreign government attack Los Angeles and that his statements "could potentially compromise our safety."
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria responded by saying, "San Diego is not collateral damage. We are not expendable," and he urged Trump to keep the city out of "reckless war talk."
ABC News said Trump had not responded to the comments made by California’s leaders, while the BBC reported that Trump was still facing condemnation from California officials.
Campaign and consequences
The controversy unfolded as Trump campaigned in Nebraska ahead of the November midterm elections, and ABC News described his Nebraska trip as part of a campaign for Republican candidates. ABC7 Los Angeles said Trump signed an executive order he said would bring down sky-high diesel prices by allowing anyone to purchase red dye diesel tax-free, and it said diesel fuel prices had spiked due to the war in Iran.
CBS News reported that Newsom wrote on X, "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," and it said Newsom called Trump "deranged and dangerous." Al Jazeera described the remarks as Trump joking about letting Iran bomb Los Angeles and San Diego, and it said Democratic leaders and lawmakers from California criticized the comments as "deranged and dangerous."