Trump sparks outrage for suggesting Iran could ‘Take Out’ US Cities

A comment by President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Nebraska on Monday sparked immediate backlash from California leaders after he suggested Iran could “take out” a U.S. city with a nuclear weapon, and mentioned San Diego and Los Angeles.
Speaking at a midterm-election rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, Trump argued Americans should accept the economic impact, most notably higher gasoline prices, resulting from the Iran war.
“It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,” he said.
“They can take out a city. Let ‘em take out Los Angeles, let ‘em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay” Trump added to applause from the crowd.
The remarks quickly circulated online, drawing sharp condemnation from California officials who accused the president of treating millions of Californians as expendable.
Gov. Gavin Newsom responded on social media by linking Trump’s remarks to the administration’s recent deployments of federal forces into California.
“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,” Newsom wrote. “He is deranged and dangerous.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, on Tuesday morning said Trump was talking about protecting U.S. cities by preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
“He was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped,” Cheung said on social media.
Los Angeles and San Diego are California’s two largest Southern California metropolitan areas and together are home to millions of residents, major military installations, international trade hubs and critical economic infrastructure. There is no evidence Iran has the range to attack the continental United States or the power to obliterate entire U.S. cities.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also condemned the president’s comments, rejecting any suggestion that the city’s residents should be viewed as collateral damage in a broader geopolitical conflict.
“San Diego is not collateral damage,” Gloria wrote. “We are not expendable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay.’ Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”