US President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting that Iran could wipe Los Angeles and San Diego off the face of the earth have sparked a sharp reaction from California politicians, to which the White House has responded sternly, the BBC reports.California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the comments Trump made in Nebraska as reckless and dangerous, while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass labeled them a threat and an attempt to incite attacks against Americans.The White House, meanwhile, maintained that Trump simply meant to convey that, had he not initiated the conflict, there would have been a real threat to American cities.Both Los Angeles and San Diego are home to major US military installations, including naval ports and air force bases.Speaking in Nebraska on the 5th of October about the conflict involving Iran, 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.” The mention of the two California cities drew applause from the crowd. The day after Trump’s statement, Newsom indicated that the president’s dangerous remarks had prompted him to ask the California Risk Assessment Center to monitor the situation, in case foreign forces interpreted Trump’s words as a call to attack California.San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote on X that the city should not be considered “collateral damage” and demanded that Trump cease his reckless war rhetoric.Trump has not yet responded to the condemnation from California leaders, while White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung stated that the media uproar was not grounded in reality. Cheung wrote that Trump had clearly intended to convey that these U.S. cities would be at risk if Iran were not stopped. He asserted that the U.S. remains safe thanks to the President’s actions, noting that Iran possesses no nuclear weapons, navy, air force, or funds.Both Trump and other US administration officials have insisted that halting Iran’s nuclear program was critical to US security and that the problems arising from starting a war must be endured for the sake of the objective. In another post on X from the official White House account, Los Angeles Times journalists who reported on Trump’s remarks were labeled clowns. Trump reportedly stated that a US war against Iran had stripped the country of its ability to attack Los Angeles and San Diego with nuclear weapons—something Tehran certainly would have done had it possessed the capability.San Diego, located 27 kilometers from the Mexican border, is the eighth-largest city in the US; it hosts the San Diego naval complex and the home base of the US Pacific Fleet, and serves as the Navy’s primary training center on the US West Coast. San Diego is also home to a Marine Corps base housing 70,000 military personnel and civilian employees.Los Angeles, situated approximately 193 kilometers north of San Diego, is the second-largest city in the US. It hosts both the Los Angeles Air Force Base and the Space Systems Command.This is not the first time Newsom—who might run for president in 2028—has publicly clashed with Trump. Last year, Trump called Newsom incompetent, noting that the governor failed to respond adequately when protests regarding immigration policy in Los Angeles turned violent. Newsom, in turn, accused Trump of using excessive force when the military was deployed to guard federal buildings.Earlier this year, Trump mocked Newsom’s dyslexia, stating that presidents should not have learning disabilities, thereby drawing criticism from charity organizations.
White House defends Trump’s ill-considered remarks about Los Angeles and San Diego
