White House Defends Trump's Remarks on Los Angeles and San Diego
The US president's comments about Iran potentially striking Los Angeles and San Diego have drawn criticism from California politicians. The White House says his words were misinterpreted.
Remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting Iran could destroy Los Angeles and San Diego have prompted a sharp response from California officials. The White House has rejected the criticism, according to the BBC.
What Trump said
Speaking in Nebraska on 5 October about the conflict with Iran, the president described it as a small price to pay for global and national security. He added that Iran could destroy a city, and named the two California cities. The audience responded with cheers.
Reaction from California
California Governor Gavin Newsom called the comments insane and dangerous. The following day he said he had asked the California Risk Assessment Center to monitor the situation in case foreign forces interpreted Trump's words as a call to attack the state. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described the remarks as a threat and an attempt to encourage attacks on Americans. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote on X that the city is not acceptable collateral damage and urged the president to stop the reckless war rhetoric.
The White House explanation
White House communications director Stephen Cheung said the media uproar was not grounded in reality. In his account, Trump meant that the cities would be at risk if Iran were not stopped. Cheung claimed Iran has no nuclear weapons, navy, air force or money. A post from the White House account on X called Los Angeles Times journalists clowns. Trump himself has not yet responded to the criticism.
The cities' significance
San Diego is the eighth-largest US city and hosts the home base of the Pacific Fleet, the navy's main training centre on the West Coast and a Marine Corps base. Los Angeles is home to an Air Force base and a space systems command centre.
A long-running feud
Newsom, who could run for president in 2028, has clashed publicly with Trump before, including over protests in Los Angeles and the deployment of the army.
