Why did Trump say he was ok with Iran taking out labor San Diego
Assigned-perspective AI, not a fact-check, and not FindTruth's view.
Published
Left
Trump stood on a Nebraska stage, cheered on gas-price pain, and casually dangled nuclear annihilation over two Democratic-run California cities — because to him, Blue America is disposable collateral in his political theater, not people he's sworn to protect.
At a Grand Island, Nebraska rally, Trump called the Iran war's economic cost a "small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe," adding that Iran could potentially take out an American city. He then specifically said: "Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego," Trump said in comments that drew swift backlash from California's leaders. The remark came while Trump was speaking about the ongoing war with Iran, Trump said the economic impact of the war is a "small price to pay", and the crowd cheered. Gov. Gavin Newsom fired back, writing Trump "is advocating for an attack on 10+ million U.S. residents in two of America's largest cities", and directed state officials to monitor for threats. Mayor Karen Bass said the comments "The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives". The White House scrambled to spin it, with Communications Director Steven Cheung claiming Trump was "clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped" — a defense contradicted by his own plain words and the crowd's cheers. This came just days after Trump sent National Guard and Marines to occupy California, meaning he's militarized these cities at home while joking about their nuclear destruction abroad.
- Trump draws backlash after he suggests Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles or San Diego
- Trump draws backlash after he suggests Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles or San Diego
- President Trump suggests letting Iran ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego at campaign event in Nebraska - ABC7 Los Angeles
- President Trump suggests letting Iran ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego at campaign event in Nebraska - ABC7 Los Angeles
- Trump draws backlash after he suggests Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles or San Diego
- Trump draws backlash after he suggests Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles or San Diego
- Trump suggests allowing Iran to "take out" LA and San Diego during campaign rally - CBS Los Angeles
Middle
Donald Trump recently stated that Iran could "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego, framing it as a "small price to pay" for global and national safety amid the ongoing conflict with Iran. This comment, made at a campaign rally, drew significant backlash from California officials who condemned the remarks as dangerous and reckless. The White House later clarified that Trump was implying U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran had not been contained.
At a campaign rally, Donald Trump suggested that Iran could "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego, linking this possibility to the cost of the ongoing war with Iran. latimes.com He characterized the potential event as a "very small price to pay" for ensuring global and national security, stating the war would "be over very soon." ctvnews.ca California Governor Gavin Newsom and mayors of both cities strongly denounced Trump's remarks, calling them "deranged and dangerous" and emphasizing that no American city is expendable. latimes.com The White House communications director, Steven Cheung, clarified that Trump's intent was to convey that U.S. cities would have been threatened by Iran if a nuclear threat had not been averted. latimes.com Despite Trump's comments, U.S. defense officials have previously stated that Iran currently lacks the capability to launch a direct missile attack on the U.S. mainland. theguardian.com Trump has historically used similar language to argue that the costs associated with preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons are justified to safeguard U.S. cities. factcheck.org
Right
Trump at his Nebraska rally stressed that his Iran war prevents the regime from gaining nuclear capability to strike U.S. cities, framing higher gas prices as a small price for safety, while Democrats and media deliberately misrepresented his words as inviting attacks.
Radical Democrats and legacy media outlets twisted Trump’s clear point about stopping a nuclear Iran from threatening Los Angeles and San Diego to manufacture outrage and distract from their own failed appeasement policies that empowered Tehran. sandiegouniontribune.com Trump explicitly tied the remarks to the war’s benefits, noting elevated prices are artificial and temporary while the conflict delivers a tremendous victory by neutralizing Iran’s nuclear, naval, and air threats to American soil. factcheck.org White House officials clarified Trump meant U.S. cities would face existential danger without his decisive strikes, as a nuclear Iran would gladly target major ports and bases in California if given the chance. bbc.co.uk Gavin Newsom and other California Democrats exposed their hypocrisy by attacking Trump while supporting open borders and weak foreign policy that invited the very threats his America First strategy now dismantles. latimes.com The crowd cheered because Americans recognize Trump’s long game of restoring deterrence and energy dominance, rejecting globalist endless wars and the radical Left’s race-obsessed distractions from real national security. nytimes.com San Diego and Los Angeles host critical military assets that a nuclear-armed Iran would prioritize, underscoring why Trump’s bold action protects the homeland rather than inviting harm as critics falsely claim. timesofsandiego.com
- https://x.com/i/status/2107709442770739497
- https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-iran-take-out-la-san-diego/
- https://www.axios.com/2026/10/06/trump-iran-take-out-la-san-diego
- https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/us/politics/trump-iran-take-out-los-angeles.html
- https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/10/05/trump-nebraska-speech-los-angeles-san-diego/
- https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-suggests-letting-iran-los-031728302.html
- https://x.com/i/status/2107709501478424683
- https://x.com/i/status/2107709506960678916
- https://www.factcheck.org/2026/10/the-context-for-trumps-take-out-los-angeles-san-diego-remarks/
- https://x.com/i/status/2107709466749935880
- https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/10/06/unbelievably-distressing-latest-comments-from-trump-outrage-elected-leaders-across-san-diego-california/
- https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-05/trump-suggests-letting-iran-take-out-los-angeles-san-diego-at-campaign-rally
- https://x.com/i/status/2107709672425914689
- https://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2026/10/06/trump-san-diego-small-price-iran-war-backlash/
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6r7yn8pknyxo