‘Confused and dangerous’, ‘Gives terrorists targets’: Trump’s Iran ‘knocked out LA, San Diego’ sparks outrage | Today’s news
Remarks by President Donald Trump suggesting that Iran could “take out” major California cities including Los Angeles and San Diego drew criticism from California Democratic leaders and at least one Republican candidate, while some of his supporters defended the comments as a warning about the consequences of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Trump discussed the economic costs of the Iran conflict, including higher prices for fuel, fertilizer and other products, at a rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday (October 5).
“It’s a small price to pay to keep the world safe, to keep our country safe,” Trump told supporters. “They could eliminate the city. Let them choose Los Angeles, let them choose San Diego.”
Trump added that the conflict is “pretty much over” and will end “very soon” — one way or another.
Gavin Newsom calls Trump ‘crazy and dangerous’
California Governor Gavin Newsom was one of the first prominent Democrats to condemn the president’s remarks.
“After sending the National Guard and Marines to occupy California, Donald Trump now says our foreign enemies should ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego,” Newsom wrote on X, calling Trump “crazy and dangerous.”
Newsom also shared a video of Trump’s remarks from Nebraska, along with links to the president’s previous arguments for deploying federal troops to Los Angeles and other US cities for crime and immigration enforcement.
Los Angeles mayor says remarks could jeopardize safety
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also criticized Trump, saying the president’s words were dangerous.
“The President of the United States has suggested that a foreign government attack Los Angeles. His statements against our city are dangerous and could potentially threaten our security,” Bass said in a statement.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria similarly took issue with Trump’s comments.
“We are never a ‘small price to pay’. Keep our city out of your reckless war talk,” Gloria wrote on X.
Republican candidate distances himself from Trump
Trump’s comments also drew criticism from within the Republican Party.
Jim Desmond, a California Republican who is running for a seat in the US House of Representatives, said he “vehemently” disagrees with the president.
“America must stand up to Iran and defend our interests, but the first responsibility of our commander in chief is to protect the American people and our homeland,” Desmond wrote on X.
“No American city is expendable and no American family should ever be considered collateral damage,” he added.
Social media is blowing up over Trump’s comments
Trump’s “Let them pull LA or San Diego” remark sparks backlash and debate on social media
President Donald Trump’s comments suggesting Iran could “take out” a major US city like Los Angeles or San Diego sparked a heated debate on social media, with critics accusing the president of making reckless remarks about American lives, while some supporters said he warned of the potential consequences of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Some users interpret his words as suggesting that the destruction of American cities would be an acceptable price for the conflict.
“He literally just gave terrorists targets that are ‘okay’ to bomb. This is crazy,” one user wrote, adding the hashtag #25thAmendmentNOW.
Another commenter wrote: “Never in my life would I have thought that the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WOULD SUGGEST FOREIGN COUNTRIES TO PICK CITIES. WHAT ARE WE DOING????”
A separate reaction called for Trump to face legal consequences, saying: “He should be in jail for saying that. Killing Americans….treason.”
Others focused on the potential human cost of an attack on Southern California.
“The US president said it was okay for a foreign country to kill approximately 5.3 million Americans in LA and SD because those two cities are in a state he lost,” one post said.
Another user said he never expected a sitting US president to “callously incite a foreign enemy” to attack California and described the remarks as “appalling”, regardless of whether they were meant as a joke.
“No president should ever think that”
One lengthy social media post from a Southern California resident expressed particular concern about Trump’s choice of words.
“No president should ever think that about an American city, let alone say it out loud,” the user wrote.
The commentator said that millions of Americans live in the two cities and asked how such an idea could come from a sitting president.
“Forget politics for a moment,” the post said, noting that the statement should not simply be dismissed amid a constant stream of controversial political commentary.
The post ended with a call for people not to become numb to such rhetoric.
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Critics accuse Trump of dividing America
Some reactions called Trump’s remarks evidence of political division.
“Joke or no joke. This shows his division of this country,” one user wrote, accusing Trump of not acting like the president of the entire United States.
Other commentators went further, calling the remarks “treasonous” and saying the president should defend every part of the country.
One post said: “Any president not willing to defend every inch of the United States is a traitor.”
Trump’s supporters defend his statements
Not everyone interpreted Trump’s comments as suggesting that an Iranian attack on American cities would be acceptable.
Several users claimed that Trump was referring to a hypothetical scenario in which Iran acquired a nuclear weapon and could then threaten American cities.
One commentator criticized those attacking Trump, saying: “Obviously, he’s talking about what Iran would do if it were allowed to get a nuclear weapon.
Another said Trump’s statement was a poor choice of words, but argued his broader point was that higher fuel prices are a relatively small price to pay compared to the consequences of Iran developing the ability to destroy a major American city.
“He clearly means it,” another supporter wrote, arguing that Los Angeles and San Diego are examples of California cities whose residents and officials strongly oppose Trump’s Iran policy.
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