Trump Sparks Backlash After Saying Iranian Attacks on US Cities 'Small Price'
President Donald Trump faced widespread condemnation after suggesting that Iranian attacks on Los Angeles and San Diego would be a small price to pay for national security.
During a campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, on October 5, 2026, Donald Trump suggested that the potential destruction of Los Angeles and San Diego by Iran would be a "small price to pay" for keeping the country and the world safe. The remarks occurred while the president was discussing the economic costs of the eight-month war with Iran, including high fuel prices. Trump stated, "They can take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles. Let ’em take out San Diego."
California officials responded with sharp condemnation. Governor Gavin Newsom described the comments as "dangerous — if not treasonous" and directed the State Threat Assessment Center to monitor for foreign threats. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria rejected the notion that their cities were expendable collateral damage, with Bass warning the rhetoric could compromise city safety. The backlash extended to the Republican party, where House candidate Jim Desmond, a Navy veteran, stated that no American city is expendable.
The White House and Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the remarks, asserting they were taken out of context. The administration claimed Trump was actually warning that U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear-armed Iran had not been stopped. Meanwhile, media figures and Democratic leaders, including Senator Bernie Sanders, characterized the comments as unhinged. The controversy unfolds as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran continues, with the Department of Defense estimating costs at $43 billion and 19 U.S. soldiers killed.
