Trump called ‘deranged and dangerous’ as he says ‘let Iran take out LA’
Gavin Newsom condemned Donald Trump as ‘deranged and dangerous’ (Getty Images)
Donald Trump suggested at a campaign rally that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego, describing it as “a very small price to pay”, as California leaders condemned the remarks as dangerous and reckless.
Speaking in Grand Island, Nebraska on Monday, Trump said: “They can take out a city, let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay.” The Los Angeles Times described the comment as “possibly in jest” and reported that the crowd cheered after he made it.
California governor Gavin Newsom responded in a post on X: “After sending the National Guard and Marines to occupy California, Donald Trump is now saying our foreign enemies should ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego. … He is deranged and dangerous.”
Newsom’s press office later added in a post on X: “Let’s be clear: The President is advocating for an attack on 10+ million US residents in two of America’s largest cities. This is not normal. None of this is. And we will continue to remind folks of that every day.”
Los Angeles and San Diego leaders respond
San Diego mayor Todd Gloria wrote on X: “San Diego is not collateral damage,” adding: “We are not expendable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay.’ Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass condemned Trump’s language in a statement, calling it “dangerous” and warning it could “potentially compromise our safety”. Bass added: “The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives”.
Senator Adam Schiff, based in California, also criticised Trump’s comments on X, writing that if ending the Iran war “means attacks on two major American cities in the process, he is not troubled by the cost.”
Xavier Becerra wrote on X: “Thirteen million Californians call LA and San Diego counties home. Their lives are not a ‘small price to pay’ or a punchline for Donald Trump.”
What else did Trump say about the Iran war?
Trump made the remarks during a wide-ranging speech that also touched on gas prices, attacks on news outlets, and the November election.
The Los Angeles Times said it was unclear whether Trump’s comments were based on any intelligence, and that it is “far from clear” Iran has the capability for a missile attack on the US.
Newsom’s latest response also follows his public criticism of Trump in October 2025, when he labelled the president “unhinged” and “in decline”, while taking aim at threats to pull funding from California schools over the state’s trans inclusion policies.
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