Trump remarks on Iran 'taking out' Los Angeles, San Diego draw criticism, debate

US President Donald Trump made remarks at a campaign rally in Nebraska referring to Iran and the possibility of Los Angeles and San Diego being "taken out". Four outlets reported the remarks: The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Anadolu and TASS. The Guardian and TASS placed them in the context of the ongoing war between the US and Iran.

According to The Guardian, the rally took place on Monday night in Grand Island, Nebraska. The Guardian quoted Trump as saying: "They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego." The crowd applauded, according to the same report.

The Guardian reported that, earlier in the speech, Trump said he hoped for a "tremendous victory" in the November midterm elections. He also said high prices caused by the war were a "small price to pay for keeping the world safe – keeping our country safe". The Guardian quoted him as saying of the war: "It’ll be over very soon." The speech lasted nearly an hour and a half, according to the report.

According to The Guardian, US defence officials have previously stated that Iran lacks the capability to launch a direct missile attack on the US mainland. The report does not name the officials or say when they made the statement. In his last State of the Union speech, Trump said Iran was working to build missiles that would "soon" reach US soil, The Guardian reported.

The White House did not immediately respond to The Guardian's request for comment.

What is disputed

The meaning of the remarks is contested. California leaders described them as encouraging an attack on the two cities. According to The Guardian, some conservative activists, whom the report does not name, argued that "small price to pay" referred to high gas prices, not to Iran striking a US city. The Guardian also reported online debate over whether the remarks were a crude joke or an accidental disclosure of intelligence about potential Iranian targets. The report does not present evidence for either reading.

Headlines differed. Al Jazeera said Trump "joked" about letting Iran bomb the cities. Anadolu said he "appears to say" Iran should be allowed to take them out. TASS said he said the cities "could be destroyed".

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include a full transcript or recording of the passage, or any clarification from Trump or the White House.

What each side says

• Gavin Newsom, California's outgoing Democratic governor, said on X that Trump is "now saying our foreign enemies should ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego" and called him "deranged and dangerous", according to The Guardian.
• Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles, said in a statement quoted by The Guardian: "The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives".
• Todd Gloria, mayor of San Diego, said on X: "We are not expendable. Keep our city out of your reckless war talk," according to The Guardian.
• Xavier Becerra, Democratic nominee for governor, was quoted by The Guardian as saying: "Their lives are not a ‘small price to pay’ or a punchline for Donald Trump."

Analysis

The episode turns on interpretation, and the reports reviewed by Vocemundi lack the full passage that could settle it. A transcript, recording or White House clarification could narrow the debate. Without them, readings will likely continue to diverge, as they did in early headlines. The remarks also come during election campaigns. According to The Guardian, Nebraska has a close Senate race, and Trump has endorsed Republican Steve Hilton for California governor against Democrat Xavier Becerra. How voters in either state weigh the remarks is uncertain. Separately, the online question of whether the comments reflected intelligence remains unaddressed. No evidence presented so far supports or rules it out.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.