California Democrats demand apology from Trump after Iran remarks
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- The lawmakers accused Trump of appearing to "invite Iran to destroy two American cities."
- They called on Trump to apologize to the more than 16 million residents living in the Los Angeles and San Diego.
Forty-three California Democratic members of Congress issued a joint statement demanding a formal apology from Donald Trump following comments he made regarding Los Angeles and San Diego during a campaign rally.
Statement from 43 Members of Congress from California regarding Trump’s attacks on Los Angeles and San Diego: https://t.co/5Yb2WirRSD
— Rep. Zoe Lofgren (@RepZoeLofgren) October 7, 2026
The lawmakers referenced the constitutional duty of the presidency while strongly criticizing Trump's remarks: "Upon taking office, the President swears to uphold the Constitution and to protect us from our enemies. Yesterday, President Trump, while defending his unconstitutional war against Iran, appeared, incredibly, to invite Iran to destroy two American cities. His exact words were 'Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego.'"
They called on Trump to “apologize to the over 16 million Americans who live in the Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas and all Americans who expect more out of our President."
The signatories on the document include key leaders from the delegation, such as Delegation Chair Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), US Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), alongside 37 other Democratic representatives from across the state.
The collective statement came after intense criticism from California leaders as they characterized Trump’s comments as an “unacceptable dismissal” of American safety, with some even calling for formal remedies under the 25th Amendment, stating that foreign military threats against big US cities should never be minimized.
