California officials condemn Trump for saying Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles or San Diego

Elected leaders across California strongly rebuked President Donald Trump following statements he delivered during a campaign stop in Grand Island, Nebraska, where he suggested Iran could target Los Angeles or San Diego.

Addressing the audience on Monday, Trump discussed the economic impact of the conflict with Iran, describing elevated domestic costs as artificial and framing them as a minor cost to secure national and global safety. He then told the cheering crowd that an adversary could strike an American metropolis, specifically saying, "Let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego." Trump additionally asserted that the conflict would conclude rapidly, a claim he has repeated often in recent months while defending the military action as essential to block Iranian nuclear capabilities.

The remarks sparked immediate condemnation from prominent California officials. Governor Gavin Newsom took to social media to label the president "deranged and dangerous," accusing him of suggesting that adversaries destroy the state's major population centers. Newsom previously clashed with the administration over federal military deployments to California.

Local leaders from the two named cities also voiced outrage. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated that the remarks compromised public safety, arguing that a commander in chief should safeguard the nation rather than appear to invite strikes against American residents. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria echoed the sentiment, asserting that his community is not expendable or collateral damage and demanding that Trump exclude the city from careless rhetoric regarding warfare.

Members of California's congressional delegation joined the wave of criticism. Senator Alex Padilla questioned what kind of leader would encourage an assault on domestic territory and risk the lives of millions of citizens and military personnel. Senator Adam Schiff challenged Trump's timeline for the war's conclusion, warning that the president appeared indifferent to the devastation that major cities might suffer.

The White House pushed back against the criticism, arguing that the public reaction was detached from what Trump intended to convey. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung stated on X that the president was merely illustrating the danger American metropolitan areas would have confronted if Iranian nuclear ambitions had not been neutralized. Cheung maintained that the country remains secure because Tehran currently lacks air power, naval assets, nuclear capability, and financial strength.

California has maintained a consistent political opposition to Trump, with voters favoring Democratic candidates over him in three successive presidential contests. State leaders have frequently engaged in sharp public disputes with his administration over domestic policy and federal authority.