Trump Sparks Outrage After Suggesting Iran Could 'Take Out' California Cities

President Donald Trump sparked a political firestorm after suggesting during a campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, on October 5, 2026, that the destruction of Los Angeles and San Diego by Iran would be a "small price to pay" for global and national security. The remarks occurred while Trump was discussing the economic costs of an eight-month war with Iran, which the Department of Defense estimates has cost $43 billion and resulted in 19 U.S. soldier deaths.

California officials reacted with sharp condemnation. Governor Gavin Newsom described the president as "deranged and dangerous," calling the remarks "if not treasonous" and urging the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. Newsom also 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 calling for a congressional investigation.

Bipartisan criticism emerged, including from Republican House candidate Jim Desmond, who stated no American city is expendable. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the remarks as a "media freakout," asserting Trump was describing a hypothetical scenario to illustrate why a nuclear Iran must be stopped.

During a subsequent rally in San Antonio, Texas, on October 7, Trump recasted the comments, stating, "We are not going to let that happen," while simultaneously warning that letting Iran hit U.S. cities would be a "horror show." Despite the clarification, critics and media figures continued to denounce the rhetoric as reckless and unfit for a commander in chief.