President Trump told a rally that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego and called that loss a “small price to pay.”
Story Highlights
- Trump named Los Angeles and San Diego while discussing war costs and Iran.
- He called the potential loss of a U.S. city a “small price to pay”.
- California leaders, including Governor Gavin Newsom, condemned the remarks.
- Some outlets said the comment may have been joking or unclear in intent.
What Trump Said And Where He Said It
On Oct. 5 in Grand Island, Nebraska, President Trump spoke about the war with Iran and higher gas prices. During the remarks, he said, “They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego.” He followed by calling higher prices a “small price to pay” to keep the world and the United States safe. Local and state CBS outlets published the quotes after the event, treating them as central to the speech segment.
ABC7 also reported the same wording from the rally and noted that the lines drew applause from the crowd. The station described the passage as seeming to imply that Iran could have been allowed to attack a United States city while Trump defended wartime costs. The coverage showed how fast local outlets flagged the comments as a public safety issue for major California population centers named on stage that night.
How California Officials Responded
California Governor Gavin Newsom rebuked the remarks soon after publication. Newsom said Trump was telling a foreign enemy to “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego. Newsom’s office went further, saying the President was advocating an attack on more than ten million United States residents in two of the nation’s largest cities. Los Angeles outlets reported a broader wave of pushback from California leaders and civic figures the same day.
Local television and newspapers framed the reaction as an immediate political and public safety concern. Coverage captured the speed of the backlash across Los Angeles and San Diego media markets. The outlets stressed that the remarks named two specific cities. They also emphasized that the quotes came while Trump defended war-linked price spikes and argued that such costs, and even far more severe losses, were acceptable to keep the country safe, as he put it during the rally.
Why The Remarks Landed So Hard
The comments hit long-running nerves about leadership, national security, and respect for civilians. Many Americans on the right and left believe elites in Washington talk past daily risks that families face. Hearing a President name two United States cities as expendable, even as rhetoric, cut against core American values about protecting citizens at home. That is why local coverage treated the quotes as a live safety issue, not only a partisan fight, within hours of the rally.
Several reports added a narrow caveat that the line may have been joking or was unclear in intent. That did not blunt the reaction because the words themselves described the loss of major cities as acceptable. The tone question matters for historians, but residents care first about what leaders say about their safety today. This episode also fits a common pattern: sharp rhetoric, fast condemnation, and later debate over meaning as the clip spreads online.
The stakes are simple. Los Angeles and San Diego are home to millions of people and key national assets. Ports, defense sites, and energy links sit across Southern California. Words from a sitting President signal priorities to allies and adversaries alike. When those words seem to trade away an American city, even in a hypothetical, they shake trust. They also deepen the shared view that Washington’s leaders are too casual about costs regular people would bear.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, abc7news.com, fox40.com
