US President Donald Trump's remark that Iran could "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego has sparked fierce backlash from California politicians. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the comment as "deranged and dangerous," while LA Mayor Karen Bass described it as a threat and an attempt to "encourage attacks on American lives". Trump made the comment at a campaign rally in Nebraska, saying: "It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego."
The White House has strongly defended Trump's comments, saying he was stating that American cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped. White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung described the "media freakout" over Trump's comments as "not rooted in reality". Cheung wrote that Trump was clearly stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped, adding that "America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money".
Both LA and San Diego house major US military installations, including Navy ports and Air Force bases. San Diego, located 17 miles from the border with Mexico, is the eighth-largest city in the US and is home to Naval Base San Diego, the home port of the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, and Naval Amphibious Base Coronado - the main training centre for Navy Seals on the West Coast. It is also where Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is located, a base where 70,000 service members and civilians work.
Los Angeles, located approximately 120 miles north of San Diego, is the second most populous city in the US. It is home to the space system command headquarters of the US Space Force, as well as the Los Angeles Air Force Base. The morning after Trump's statement, Governor Newsom announced that the "dangerous - if not treasonous" statement had prompted him to direct California's State Threat Assessment Center to "monitor the situation in the event that foreign actors interpret the remarks as an invitation" to target California.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote that the city was not collateral damage in a post, while demanding Trump keep it out of his "reckless war talk". Trump is yet to respond to the statements made by California's leaders. A separate post from the official White House rapid response account described journalists from the Los Angeles Times reporting on the comments as "buffoons" and again pushed back against the characterisation of the comments by Newsom and others.
This is not the first time the US president and California governor, who may run for president in 2028, have publicly clashed. Last year Trump described him as incompetent, saying he had failed to adequately respond after some of the Los Angeles anti-immigration enforcement protests turned violent. Newsom accused Trump of a "brazen abuse of power" after military personnel were deployed to secure federal buildings during those protests.
Earlier this year, Trump mocked Newsom's dyslexia, saying presidents should not have learning disabilities, which led to criticism from dyslexia charities. The president and other administration officials often claim that disrupting Iran's nuclear programme was essential for US national security, and that any issues that have stemmed from the conflict were necessary.
Key points
- The White House has defended Trump's comment, saying he was stating that American cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped.
- California politicians, including Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, have condemned Trump's comment as "deranged and dangerous" and a threat to American lives.
- The incident has highlighted the ongoing tensions between Trump and Newsom, who may run for president in 2028.
