Trump suggests letting Iran ‘eliminate’ Los Angeles and San Diego at campaign rally

President Trump, speaking at a campaign rally Monday, suggested that Iran could “wipe out” Los Angeles and San Diego — a comment that may have been a joke but sparked a swift response from California leaders.

Trump said he wanted to “see a huge victory” in the November election, “because it verifies everything we’ve done. And again, remember, with war, it’s just contrived, it’s a little high.”

“It’s a small price to pay to keep the world and our country safe,” he continued. “They can take over a city, let them take over Los Angeles, let them take over San Diego. It’s a very small price to pay.”

The crowd applauded.

His comment was criticized by California leaders, including at least one San Diego Republican candidate supported by Trump.

Governor Gavin Newsom posted on

Then, from his briefing to the press office: “Let’s be clear: The president is advocating an attack on more than 10 million American residents in two of America’s largest cities. This is not normal. None of this is. And we will continue to remind people of that every day.”

“San Diego is not collateral damage,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “We are not replaceable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay.’ Keep our city away from your reckless war talk.

Trump made the remarks during a rambling speech in which he said gas prices would soon fall, touted his ouster of the Venezuelan dictator and launched attacks on the media.

He was in Grand Island, Neb., encouraging residents of the deep red state to vote as if he were on the ballot.

It is unclear whether Trump’s comments were based on intelligence, and it is far from clear that Iran has the capability to launch a missile attack against the United States.

In March, Iran launched missiles toward Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean that is home to a strategic Anglo-American military base. The Associated Press reported at the time that Iran had imposed a self-imposed limit on its ballistic missile program, limiting the range to 1,240 miles. Diego Garcia is well outside of this range. However, U.S. officials have long asserted that Iran’s space program could enable it to build intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Also in March, law enforcement agencies across California were warned that the war against Iran could lead to a surprise drone attack in the Golden State. But sources told the Times there was no credible intelligence to support the claim and officials said they did not take it seriously.

Trump has long had a strained relationship with Los Angeles, where he has struggled to gain traction for his businesses.

In 2019, he made a high-profile trip to San Diego to tout his border wall.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called Trump’s remarks “dangerous” in a statement, saying they could “potentially compromise our security.”

“The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives,” she said.

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) also criticized Trump for his comments Monday night, writing on X: “President says war in Iran will end ‘very soon.’ How many times have we heard this promise? And if that means attacks on two major American cities, he doesn’t care about the cost.”

Democrat Xavier Becerra, a front-runner for governor who spent decades representing the Los Angeles region in Congress, said on X: “Thirteen million Californians live in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Their lives are not a ‘small price to pay’ or a punchline for Donald Trump.”