White House defends Trump comment to let Iran ‘take out’ LA and San Diego

Leaders in California have condemned President Trump following comments he made during a midterms election rally in Nebraska.

Speaking about the war with Iran, Trump said: “Let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego.” The full meaning of his comments was unclear.

State governor Gavin Newsom described the US president as “deranged and dangerous,” while Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass said: “The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives.”

The cities are the largest in southern California and house major US military installations including Navy ports and Air Force bases.

While speaking in Nebraska about the Iran conflict, he 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.”

There were cheers from sections of the audience as the comments about the two Californian cities were made.

San Diego’s Mayor Todd Gloria wrote the city was not collateral damage in a post on X, while demanding Trump keep it out of his “reckless war talk”.

In a second post on his official governor of California X account, Newsom shared an article on the comments from the Los Angeles Times saying it was “disgusting and disqualifying”.

Trump is yet to respond to the statements made by California’s leaders. The BBC has asked the White House for comment.

San Diego, located 17 miles (27km) from the border with Mexico, is the eighth largest city in the US and is home to Naval Base San Diego, the home port of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet, and Naval Amphibious Base Coronado – the main training centre Navy Seals on the West Coast.

It is also where Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is located, a base which 70,000 service members and civilians work at.

Located approximately 120 miles (193 KM) north of San Diego, Los Angeles is the second most populous city in the US.

It is home to the space system command headquarters of the US Space Force, as well as the Los Angeles Air Force Base.

This not the first time the US president and California governor, who may run for president in 2028, have publicly clashed.

Last year Trump described him as incompetent, saying he had failed to adequately respond after some of the Los Angeles anti-immigration enforcement protests turned violent.

Newsom accused Trump of a “brazen abuse of power” after military personnel were deployed to secure federal buildings during those protests.

Earlier this year, Trump mocked Newsom’s dyslexia, saying presidents should not have learning disabilities, which led to criticism from dyslexia charities.