Trump ‘deranged and dangerous’ for daring Iran to take out LA, California governor says
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- President Donald Trump said Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego while defending the costs of the ongoing war with Iran.
- California officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, sharply condemned the remarks, with Newsom calling Trump “deranged and dangerous.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom has sharply condemned President Donald Trump after he suggested that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego, describing the remarks as “deranged and dangerous.”
Trump made the comments Monday during a campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, while defending the economic costs of the ongoing war with Iran.
“It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,” Trump said.
“They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay,” he added.
Newsom responded on X, accusing Trump of encouraging attacks on California cities.
“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,” he added.
The governor’s official account separately described the remarks as “disgusting and disqualifying.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also condemned Trump, saying the president’s role is to protect Americans rather than “actively threaten” them or encourage attacks on American lives.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said the city was “not collateral damage” and rejected Trump’s characterization of a potential attack as a “small price to pay.”
Trump’s comments came as he discussed rising gasoline prices and the economic consequences of the war with Iran.
He argued that higher prices were an acceptable cost of what he described as efforts to keep the United States and the world safe.
Trump also claimed during the rally that the conflict was “essentially almost over,” while acknowledging that it could continue longer before ending “one way or the other.”
The remarks quickly triggered backlash from California officials and others online, with critics questioning the president’s willingness to characterize a potential attack on major US cities as an acceptable cost of war.
Los Angeles and San Diego are among California’s largest cities. San Diego also hosts major US military installations, including Naval Base San Diego, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.
