Daily Mail
· collected 2026-10-06 · by Stephen M. Lepore
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California Democrats slammed Donald Trump after he joked the US should let Iran 'take out' Los Angeles and San Diego at a rally in Nebraska on Monday.
asserted
Iran → sign → Monday
The President campaigned in Grand Island alongside GOP Senator Pete Ricketts, who is running against an independent candidate backed by national Democrats.
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who → campaign → Democrats
Trump was defending the Iran War and explaining that higher gas prices - which he hopes to lower with an Executive Order expanding access to tax-exempt diesel - are a small price to pay to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon.
'
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he → defend → weapon
And again, remember, with the war, it's just artificial.
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it → remember → war
It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,' he said.
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he → pay → country
He then quipped that a nuclear Iran 'could take out a city.
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Iran → quip → city
'
'Let them take out Los Angeles.
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them → let → Angeles
Let them take out San Diego,' he
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them → let → Diego
added, as the crowd cheered and applauded.
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crowd → add → ?
'This is a very small price to pay, and it's gonna be over with very soon.
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it → pay → ?
It's essentially almost over with,' Trump added.
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Trump → add → ?
Both the mayors of Los Angeles and San Diego ripped Trump for suggesting he was joking about Iran taking out either of their cities.
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Iran → rip → cities
California Democrats slammed Donald Trump over joking that the US should let Iran 'take out' Los Angeles and San Diego at a rally in Nebraska on Monday
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (pictured) ripped Trump for suggesting he was joking about Iran taking out either of their cities
'
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Iran → slam → cities
The President of the United States suggested that a foreign government attack Los Angeles.
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government → suggest → Angeles
His statements against our city are dangerous and could potentially compromise our safety,' Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told The Daily Mail.
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Bass → compromise → Mail
The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives.'
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role → protect → lives
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, a Democrat like Bass, added: 'San Diego is not collateral damage.
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Diego → add → Bass
And we are never a "small price to pay."
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we → pay → ?
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a frequent sparring partner of Trump with presidential ambitions of his own, also chimed in.
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Newsom → chime → own
'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.
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enemies → send → Angeles
He is deranged and dangerous,' Newsom said.
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Newsom → say → ?
The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
At the rally, Trump said he signed an executive order aimed at driving down record diesel prices as soaring fuel costs threaten to squeeze American truckers, businesses and consumers just weeks before the midterm elections.
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costs → say → elections
Diesel surged to around $6.50 a gallon last month, piling fresh pressure on the White House as the November 3 vote approaches and threatening to push up the cost of transporting everything from groceries to construction materials across the country.
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vote → surge → country
California Governor Gavin Newsom (pictured), a frequent sparring partner of Trump with presidential ambitions of his own, also chimed in, calling Trump 'deranged'
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Newsom → picture → Trump
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria (pictured, a Democrat like Bass and Newsom, added: 'San Diego is not collateral damage.
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Diego → picture → Bass
And we are never a ''small price to pay.''
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we → pay → ?
The dramatic spike has been fueled by turmoil overseas and in response to the wars in Iran and Ukraine which have led to attacks on refineries in Russia and the Middle East.
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which → fuel → Russia
Trump's new order seeks to rapidly expand the amount of diesel available to American motorists and businesses, including by opening the door to greater use of so-called red-dyed diesel.
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order → seek → diesel
Red dye diesel is normally reserved for agriculture, construction equipment and other off-road uses and is exempt from federal highway taxes.
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diesel → reserve → taxes
The order will likely direct the Department of Transportation to coordinate with states to waive taxes on road diesel.
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order → direct → diesel
Under the administration's plan, restrictions could be temporarily eased to allow more of that fuel into the road transportation market as officials scramble to increase supply and push prices lower.
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officials → ease → prices
The executive order is also expected to direct the Department of Transportation to work with states on potentially waiving taxes imposed on diesel used on highways.
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order → expect → highways
The move marks the latest attempt by Trump to tackle a fuel-price surge that has become an increasingly urgent economic and political problem ahead of the midterms.
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that → mark → midterms
Truckers have been particularly exposed because diesel is the lifeblood of America's freight network, with higher prices rapidly translating into increased costs for companies moving goods thousands of miles around the country.
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prices → expose → country
Those costs can ultimately ripple through the economy as businesses decide whether to absorb the increase or pass it on to consumers.
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businesses → ripple → consumers
Trump had already piled pressure on America's allies to take action over the crunch and even considered banning US diesel exports in an effort to keep more fuel at home.
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Trump → pile → home
G7 nations announced last week that they would release 100 million barrels of diesel and other fuel from emergency stockpiles in an effort to calm markets and bolster supplies.
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they → announce → supplies
But questions remain over how much of that promised release represents genuinely additional fuel rather than barrels that countries had already committed to making available under a global agreement reached in March.
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countries → remain → March
The Aporia
