U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked a political backlash after saying Iran could “take out” American cities such as Los Angeles and San Diego if it were allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Trump made the remarks on Monday, October 5, during a political rally in Grand Island, Nebraska , where he was defending the economic costs of the ongoing conflict with Iran. Speaking about rising prices linked to the war, Trump described the economic impact as a “small price to pay” for protecting the United States and the wider world. He then turned to the potential threat posed by a nuclear-capabl

U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked a political backlash after saying Iran could “take out” American cities such as Los Angeles and San Diego if it were allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Trump made the remarks on Monday, October 5, during a political rally in

Grand Island, Nebraska

, where he was defending the economic costs of the ongoing conflict with Iran. Speaking about rising prices linked to the war, Trump described the economic impact as a “small price to pay” for protecting the United States and the wider world. He then turned to the potential threat posed by a nuclear-capable Iran. “They could take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego,” Trump told the crowd. The audience responded with cheers. The comments quickly drew criticism from California political leaders and local officials. California Governor

Gavin Newsom

condemned the remarks, while Los Angeles Mayor

Karen Bass

said the president's comments were dangerous and could potentially compromise the city's safety. San Diego Mayor

Todd Gloria

also rejected the idea that his city should be treated as expendable in discussions about the Iran conflict. Gloria said San Diego was “not collateral damage” and urged Trump to keep the city out of what he described as reckless war rhetoric. The reaction was not limited to Democrats.

Jim Desmond

, a Republican candidate for Congress from the San Diego area and a Navy veteran, also criticized the president's comments. Desmond said the United States should defend its interests against Iran but argued that “no American city is expendable” and no American family should be treated as collateral damage.

White House offers clarification

The White House has rejected the interpretation that Trump was advocating an Iranian attack on American cities. White House Communications Director

Steven Cheung

said Tuesday that Trump's remarks were intended to explain the threat that a nuclear-armed Iran could have posed if it had been allowed to develop such capabilities. Cheung argued that Trump was saying American cities could have faced a threat from a nuclear Iran and that the administration's actions were intended to prevent that scenario. The clarification has not ended the controversy, however, as the president's original remarks continue to draw criticism from California officials and others who say American cities should not be discussed as acceptable losses in a war.

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives in Grand Island, Nebraska, on October 5, 2026, as he campaigns for Republican candidates ahead of the November midterm elections.

A broader dispute over the Iran conflict

Trump's comments came as he continued to defend the economic consequences of the conflict, including higher energy prices. Reuters reported that the war has disrupted energy markets, with restrictions around the

Strait of Hormuz

affecting global oil supplies and contributing to pressure on fuel prices. Trump has argued that the economic sacrifices are justified by the broader security objectives of the conflict. For California officials, however, the president's reference to Los Angeles and San Diego has shifted attention from the economic debate to the language being used to describe the potential consequences of the war. Los Angeles and San Diego are among California's largest urban areas, while San Diego is also home to major U.S. military installations. The controversy now places Trump's comments alongside the wider debate over Iran's nuclear capabilities, the cost of the war and the risks of further escalation.

California Governor Gavin Newsom during an interview in New York City on September 23, 2026.

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