Trump suggests letting Iran 'take out' Los Angeles, San Diego at campaign rally
Key Points:
- President Trump, at a campaign rally in Nebraska, suggested Iran could "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego, framing it as a "small price to pay" for national security, which drew cheers from the crowd but sparked backlash from California leaders.
- California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned Trump's remarks as "deranged and dangerous," emphasizing that advocating for attacks on millions of residents in major U.S. cities is unacceptable.
- San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized the comments as reckless and dangerous, underscoring that their cities are not expendable or collateral damage.
- The capability of Iran to launch missile attacks on U.S. cities remains unclear, with intelligence suggesting limitations on Iran's ballistic missile range, though concerns about potential drone attacks in California have been raised but deemed not credible.
- Several California politicians, including Senator Adam Schiff and gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, denounced Trump's statement as insensitive to the lives of millions and irresponsible in the context of ongoing tensions with Iran.