President Donald Trump sparked controversy when he suggested at a rally that American cities like Los Angeles and San Diego could be targets for an Iranian attack as part of sacrifices needed to keep the country safe. This statement drew immediate criticism from politicians across party lines, including California Governor Gavin Newsom who called it "madness" and "dangerous." Republican Jim Desmond also distanced himself from Trump's remarks, emphasizing that defending American interests must not come at the cost of national security negligence.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
At a campaign rally in Nebraska, Donald Trump suggested that Iran could "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego, drawing widespread condemnation from California officials. The president, defending higher gas prices related to his war with Iran, stated, "They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego," prompting cheers from the audience. In response, California Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump's remarks "deranged and dangerous." Mayors of both cities also denounced the comments, emphasizing that San Diego houses major military installations like Naval Base San Diego and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, where 70,000 civilians and service members live and work.
Written for “Trump Iran Comment Controversy Califo…” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 18 other(s) covering the same event.
Members of the Republican Party have joined Democrats in questioning remarks made by United States President Donald Trump about the California cities of Los Angeles and San Diego.
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Members → join → Angeles
Much of the backlash came on Tuesday, a day after Trump told a midterm rally in Nebraska that Americans should be willing to make sacrifices to gain victory in the US-Israeli war against Iran.
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Americans → come → Iran
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Iran → pull → Angeles
Those sacrifices, he implied, could include the destruction of American cities, in case of an Iranian attack.
uncertain
he → imply → attack
“It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,” Trump said, seemingly in reference to the knock-on effects of the war, including rising fuel and fertiliser prices.
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Trump → ’ → prices
“They can take out a city.
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They → take → city
Let them take out Los Angeles.
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them → let → Angeles
Let them take out San Diego.
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them → let → Diego
This is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon.”
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it → pay → ?
Trump has downplayed the impact of the war – now in its eighth month – despite polling that shows the conflict is widely unpopular in the US.
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conflict → downplay → US
He has also repeatedly promised the war would end soon, though no lasting ceasefire has been reached so far.
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ceasefire → promise → ?
Gavin Newsom, an outspoken critic of Trump and the Democratic governor of California, said the president was “deranged”.
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president → say → California
This is dangerous,” Newsom said in a video on the social media platform X, in which he called for Congress to rein in Trump’s behaviour.
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Congress → say → behaviour
Newsom, a possible contender in the 2028 presidential race, has clashed repeatedly with Trump.
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Newsom → clash → Trump
Last year, the two faced off over Trump’s decision to deploy federal troops to California, as part of an effort to support a crackdown on undocumented immigration in the Los Angeles area.
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two → face → area
In December, a federal judge ruled that the deployment had been illegal and ordered its end.
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deployment → rule → end
Newsom, who opposed the deployment, cited that conflict in his remarks about Trump’s Nebraska rally.
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who → oppose → rally
“The president of the United States – the same one who sent in the National Guard into Los Angeles, sent 700 active duty Marines to the second largest city in the United States of America – just invited Iran to take out Los Angeles and San Diego,” Newsom said.
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Newsom → send → Angeles
He added that Trump’s remarks should convince those who “didn’t think the November election mattered” to vote in the upcoming midterms.
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election → add → midterms
Some from Trump’s own party have also expressed shock at his remarks.
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Some → express → remarks
Jim Desmond, a Republican running in a competitive race for the House of Representatives near San Diego, was among those who distanced themselves from Trump’s statement.
“I vehemently disagree with President Trump’s comments.
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I → run → comments
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 treated as collateral damage.”
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family → stand → damage
US Representative Kevin Kiley, an independent who caucuses with Republicans and is running for re-election in northern California, also called Trump’s comments “unhelpful”.
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who → caucus → comments
But the White House has dismissed criticism of the remarks, calling it part of a “media freakout” that “is not rooted in reality”.
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that → dismiss → reality
“He was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped,” White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung wrote on social media.
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Cheung → state → media
Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money.”
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Iran → have → nuclear
California has the largest population and economy of any state in the US.
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California → have → US
Because of its population, it also has the most seats in the House of Representatives, at 52.
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it → have → 52
With Republicans’ control of Congress on the line, the results of the midterms are expected to weigh heavily on the final two years of Trump’s second term.
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results → expect → term
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