The White House has scrambled to defend Donald Trump after the president casually offered up Los Angeles and San Diego for Iran to “take out,” prompting furious backlash.
Trump made the remarks Monday night at a campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, where he was campaigning for Republican candidates ahead of the November midterm elections.
The president was discussing the economic consequences of the war with Iran, particularly higher gasoline prices, when he argued, in his typical rambling and clumsy fashion, that higher gas prices and other consequences of the war were a “small price to pay” to prevent Iran from potentially causing catastrophic damage, such as destroying a city.
But in doing so, he also appeared to inadvertently offer up Los Angeles and San Diego to Iran.
“Remember, with the war, it’s just artificial. It’s a little bit high,” Trump told the crowd. “It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe.”
Trump then appeared to pivot from the economic cost of the war to the potential consequences of allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.
“They can take out a city—let ’em take, let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego. That’s—this is a very small price to pay,” he said, prompting cheers from the crowd.
“And it’s going to be over very soon,” Trump continued. “It’s essentially almost over with. And they might keep going a little long, you know. They always say they have a big threshold for pain. They need it, let me tell you.”
The commander-in-chief, who is in control of the nuclear codes and whose cognitive health has come under mounting scrutiny, added that the seven-month-old war will end “one way or the other.”
The comments immediately triggered a political firestorm, particularly in California, where the Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas are home to more than 16 million people combined.
But the White House insists that Trump was not advocating an Iranian attack on American cities.
“The media freakout over President Trump’s comments is not rooted in reality. He was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped. America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said on X.
The White House Rapid Response X account added: “He was saying the U.S. is fighting to STOP Iran from having the ability to take out LA and San Diego with a nuclear weapon — which they would if they had the chance.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom led the outrage to Trump’s remarks.
“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.”
Newsom’s press office followed up with an even sharper condemnation: “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.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also called the remarks dangerous, warning that Trump’s words could have consequences for public safety.
“The President of the United States suggested that a foreign government attack Los Angeles,” Bass said. “His statements against our city are dangerous and could potentially compromise our safety.”
She added: “The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria rejected the suggestion that his city could somehow be treated as an acceptable sacrifice.
“San Diego is not collateral damage,” Gloria said. “We are not expendable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay’. Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”
Kennedy family member and former first lady of California Maria Shriver also chipped in: “This should outrage every American. This is the president of the United States telling Iran to bomb American cities. I live in Los Angeles, but that’s beside the point. Tomorrow it could be your city. My fellow Americans, this is not normal. This is not funny. This behavior should ring alarm bells for us all!” she said on X.
Trump’s characterization of the Iran war as a “small price” to pay lands particularly hard when measured against the toll already being paid by U.S. service members on the ground.
Pentagon figures show 861 U.S. service members have been wounded and at least 19 killed. U.S. officials told The Washington Post that at least three additional deaths are missing from the tally.
The war in Iran has caused energy prices to spike. AAA figures show the average price of fuel at $4.37 a gallon, while diesel stands at $6.32.
Food prices have also risen, with ground beef up 7.2 percent over the past 12 months, while seafood, sugar, and coffee are all up around 6 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
