A comment by President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Nebraska on Monday sparked immediate backlash from California leaders after he suggested Iran could "take out" a US city with a nuclear weapon, and mentioned San Diego and Los Angeles.
Speaking at a midterm-election rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, Trump argued Americans should accept the economic impact, most notably higher gasoline prices, resulting from the Iran war.
"It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe," he said.
"They can take out a city. Let 'em take out Los Angeles, let 'em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay," Trump added to applause from the crowd.
The remarks quickly circulated online, drawing sharp condemnation from California officials who accused the president of treating millions of Californians as expendable.
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White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, however, on Tuesday morning said Trump was talking about protecting US cities by preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
"He was clearly stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped," Cheung said on social media.
President Donald Trump dances on stage during a rally Monday at Pinnacle Bank Expo Center in Grand Island, Nebraska. During the speech Trump suggested Iran could "take out" a U.S. city with a nuclear weapon, and mentioned San Diego and Los Angeles.
Gov. Gavin Newsom responded on social media by linking Trump's remarks to the administration's recent deployments of federal forces into California.
"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," Newsom wrote. "He is deranged and dangerous."
Los Angeles and San Diego are California's two largest Southern California metropolitan areas and together are home to millions of residents, major military installations, international trade hubs and critical economic infrastructure.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also condemned the comments, rejecting any suggestion that the city's residents should be viewed as collateral damage in a broader geopolitical conflict.
"San Diego is not collateral damage," Gloria wrote. "We are not expendable. And we are never a 'small price to pay.' Keep our city out of your reckless war talk."
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, in a statement, called Trump’s remarks “dangerous,” saying they could “potentially compromise our safety.”
"The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives," Bass wrote on X.
California Sen. Adam Schiff blasted Trump's comments Monday, questioning if Trump would be troubled by an attack on two American cities.
The controversy adds to ongoing tensions between Trump and California's Democratic leadership, which have intensified over immigration enforcement, National Guard deployments and federal-state clashes throughout the president's second term.
