Trump sparks California backlash after saying Iran could 'take out' Los Angeles and San Diego

President Donald Trump drew a backlash from California officials, telling a Grand Island, Nebraska, rally on Monday that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego — calling it “a very small price to pay” amid the economic costs of the war with Iran.

Defending the war’s economic toll, Trump said: “It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, for keeping our country safe. They could take out a city. Let ‘em take out Los Angeles, let ‘em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon,” according to Reuters.

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,” calling him “deranged and dangerous”. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said: “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 wrote: “We are not expendable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay.’ Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”

Republican House candidate Jim Desmond said he “vehemently” disagreed — “No American city is expendable, and no American family should ever be treated as collateral damage” — while White House communications director Steven Cheung responded Tuesday that Trump “was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped.”