White House responds after Trump's ‘take out’ LA, San Diego Iran remarks spark backlash
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "White House responds after Trump's ‘take out’ LA, San Diego Iran remarks spark backlash")
US President Donald Trump Photograph: (AFP)
Donald Trump's remarks about Iran targeting Los Angeles and San Diego spark backlash from Newsom and California leaders as the White House defends him
Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting that Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego have triggered a sharp political backlash in California, with state leaders condemning the comments and the White House strongly defending the president’s meaning. California Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump’s comments ‘deranged and dangerous’, while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said they amounted to threats and could ‘encourage attacks on American lives’.
The White House, however, rejected that interpretation. Officials said Trump was referring to the potential threat American cities would have faced from Iran if the US had not taken military action against Tehran earlier this year.
Both Los Angeles and San Diego are home to significant US military facilities, including major naval and air-force installations. Speaking at a campaign rally in Nebraska on Monday while discussing the Iran conflict, Trump said, “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.”
Some members of the crowd cheered after Trump mentioned the two California cities. The following morning, Newsom said the comments had prompted him to instruct California’s State Threat Assessment Center to monitor the situation. He described the remarks as ‘dangerous, if not treasonous’ and said officials needed to watch for any possibility that foreign actors could interpret them as an invitation to target California.
The State Threat Assessment Center is responsible for identifying and helping prevent potential security threats across the state. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also pushed back against Trump’s remarks, saying the city was not collateral damage and urging the president to keep San Diego out of his ‘reckless war talk’. Trump has not publicly responded to the criticism from California’s political leaders.
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The White House, meanwhile, maintained that the president’s comments had been misunderstood. White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung dismissed what he called the ‘media freakout’ and said the reaction was ‘not rooted in reality’. “He was clearly stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped,” Cheung wrote. “America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money”. The Trump administration has repeatedly argued that military action against Iran’s nuclear programme was necessary to protect US national security. Officials have also maintained that the consequences of the conflict were justified by the broader security threat.
The White House rapid response account separately attacked coverage of Trump’s remarks by the Los Angeles Times, referring to its journalists as ‘buffoons’. The account again argued that Trump had been describing what Iran could have done if it had developed a nuclear weapon. “He was saying the US is fighting to STOP Iran from having the ability to take out LA and San Diego with a nuclear weapon, which they would if they had the chance,” the account added.
Why San Diego was mentioned
San Diego sits around 17 miles (27km) from the US-Mexico border and is the country’s eighth-largest city. It is home to Naval Base San Diego, the Pacific Fleet’s principal home port, as well as Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, a major West Coast training centre for Navy SEALs. The region also includes Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, where approximately 70,000 military personnel, civilians and others work. Los Angeles, roughly 120 miles (193km) north of San Diego, is the second-largest city in the United States. The city and surrounding region have major links to the US military and aerospace sectors, including the Space Systems Command headquarters and Los Angeles Air Force Base.
Trump-Newsom tensions
Trump’s latest clash with Newsom is part of a long-running political confrontation between the president and California governor, who has been discussed as a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028. Trump previously accused Newsom of incompetence over his response to violent incidents during protests against immigration enforcement in Los Angeles. Newsom, in turn, accused Trump of a ‘brazen abuse of power’ after military personnel were deployed to protect federal buildings during the unrest. Earlier this year, Trump also mocked Newsom’s dyslexia, saying presidents should not have learning disabilities. The remarks drew criticism from dyslexia advocacy organisations.
