Nicolai Haugsted
Trump sparks outrage after naming two US cities as collateral damage for the war with Iran.
War inevitably comes with a price tag, and Donald Trump spent part of his latest campaign appearance arguing that Americans should be prepared to accept the economic consequences of the conflict with Iran.
His explanation then went considerably further than gasoline prices.
Speaking Monday in Grand Island, Nebraska, the president abruptly raised the possibility of an enemy “taking out” an American city before supplying two examples himself: Los Angeles and San Diego.
“They can take out a city — let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego,” Trump said. “This is a very small price to pay.”
Some members of the Nebraska crowd responded with cheers.
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Trump was talking about the cost of war
Trump made the remarks while discussing the economic impact of the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Higher fuel prices have become a particularly visible consequence for Americans, and Trump argued that those increases should be viewed against what he described as the larger objective of protecting the United States.
“Remember, with the war, it’s just artificial. It’s a little bit high,” Trump said.
“It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe.”
His next remarks shifted away from household expenses and toward the hypothetical loss of an American city.
“They can take out a city — let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay,” he said.
Trump did not explain why he selected the two California cities.
Two major American cities enter the hypothetical
Los Angeles and San Diego are California’s two largest cities, with millions of residents between them.
Trump’s wording quickly attracted attention because “take out” in the context of his remarks appeared to refer to an attack on a city. Multiple reports and video of the appearance confirmed the wording.
No evidence has emerged that Trump was describing an actual Iranian plan to attack either city.
Questions also remain about what military capability Iran could realistically use to strike the continental United States directly. The Los Angeles Times noted that Iran is not known to possess an operational ballistic missile capable of reaching California from Iran, although US officials have long warned that Tehran’s space program could contribute to eventual intercontinental missile capabilities.
Some Trump supporters have interpreted the president’s remarks as a joke rather than a literal proposal. Trump himself did not clarify that point during the passage.
Newsom fires back
California Governor Gavin Newsom responded within hours.
“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 on X.
“He is deranged and dangerous.”
Newsom later described the comments as “Disgusting and disqualifying,” according to the original report.
His press office separately argued that Trump’s words amounted to advocating an attack on millions of Americans.
Those descriptions represent Newsom and his office’s interpretation of the president’s remarks rather than an independently established statement of Trump’s intent.
San Diego mayor has a message of his own
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria was similarly unimpressed by hearing his city inserted into Trump’s hypothetical.
“San Diego is not collateral damage,” Gloria wrote.
“We are not expendable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay’. Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”
Trump’s comments also drew criticism from other public figures after clips began circulating online.
The White House had not immediately provided additional context for the remarks when several outlets sought comment Monday night.
Trump says the war is nearly finished
The president continued his speech by predicting that the conflict would not last much longer.
“And it’s going to be over very soon,” Trump said.
“It’s essentially almost over with. And they might keep going a little long, you know. They always say they have a big threshold for pain. They need it, let me tell you.”
Trump added that the war would ultimately finish “one way or the other.”
His prediction provided no concrete timetable for when fighting would stop.
