California leaders condemn Trump remark letting Iran take Los Angeles

President Trump suggested Iran could "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego during a midterms election rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, comments that drew swift condemnation from California's governor and mayors on 6 October 2026. Trump framed the remark against the backdrop of the war with Iran, calling high gas prices "a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe." He then added: "They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego."theguardian.com+1

The comments matter because Los Angeles and San Diego are the two largest cities in southern California and host major US military installations, including Navy ports and Air Force bases. The full meaning of Trump's words was unclear, and the White House had not responded to requests for comment. The remark lands as Trump has repeatedly criticised California over immigration, state elections and wildfires, and as midterm elections approach in November that will determine control of Congress.bbc.co.uk+1

What Trump said in Nebraska

Trump spoke at a rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, ahead of the midterm elections, telling supporters he hoped to see a "tremendous victory". Sections of the audience cheered as he named the two Californian cities. He repeated that the war with Iran was "going to end very soon" and that the cost was "a very small price to pay". At the onset of the war, Trump had vowed the conflict would last only a few weeks, but it has since gone on seven months.

Trump has repeatedly argued that high gas prices are a small price to pay for the war in Iran, and in Nebraska he appeared to contrast that with a dramatically higher price — an attack on a US city. Last week, he said his initial four- to six-week timeline referred only to eradicating the nuclear threat from Iran, not to concluding the entire war. The full meaning of his comments about the two cities was unclear, and the White House has not clarified them.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, called Trump "deranged and dangerous" and said the president was advocating an attack on more than 10 million US residents in two of America's largest cities. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the statements "could potentially compromise our safety" and that "the role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives." Newsom also shared an article about the comments, calling it "disgusting and disqualifying".

How California officials responded

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote that his city "is not collateral damage. We are not expendable. And we are never a 'small price to pay.' Keep our city out of your reckless war talk." San Diego sits 17 miles from the Mexican border and is the eighth largest city in the US, 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 for Navy Seals on the West Coast.

Los Angeles, about 120 miles north of San Diego, is the second most populous city in the US. It hosts the Space Systems Command headquarters of the US Space Force, as well as Los Angeles Air Force Base. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, located in the San Diego area, employs 70,000 service members and civilians. These installations give the two cities a direct military significance beyond their size and political weight in a blue state Trump has often criticised.

Republican congressional candidate Jim Desmond, a navy veteran running in California's 48th congressional district, said he "vehemently" disagreed with Trump. "America must stand up to Iran and defend our interests, but the first responsibility of our Commander in Chief is to protect the American people and our homeland," Desmond said, adding that he "served to protect Americans, not write off American cities as an acceptable price of war." He faces Marni Von Wilpert, a lawyer and San Diego city council member, in a district redrawn after Proposition 50.

Republican and military context

Newsom and Trump have clashed publicly before. Last year Trump called Newsom incompetent, saying he failed to respond adequately after some Los Angeles anti-immigration enforcement protests turned violent; Newsom accused Trump of a "brazen abuse of power" when military personnel were deployed to secure federal buildings. Earlier this year, Trump mocked Newsom's dyslexia, saying presidents should not have learning disabilities, drawing criticism from dyslexia charities. Newsom may run for president in 2028.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump's approval rating at a record low of 32%, with the president losing support among independent voters and Latinos who had backed him in 2024. The dip comes before the November midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Trump has not responded to the statements from California's leaders, and the White House has been asked for comment.