‘Deranged and dangerous’, ‘He gave terrorists targets’: Trump’s Iran ‘take out LA, San Diego’ remark sparks outrage

President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting that Iran could “take out” major California cities including Los Angeles and San Diego have triggered a wave of criticism from California Democratic leaders and at least one Republican candidate, while some of his supporters defended the comments as a warning about the consequences of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.

Speaking at a rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday (October 5), Trump was discussing the economic costs of the Iran conflict, including higher prices for fuel, fertilizer and other products.

“it’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, for keeping our country safe,” Trump told supporters. “They could take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego.”

Trump added that the conflict was “essentially almost over” and would end “very soon” — either one way or another.

Gavin Newsom calls Trump ‘deranged and dangerous’

California Governor Gavin Newsom was among the first prominent Democrats to condemn the president's remarks.

“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,” Newsom wrote on X, calling Trump “deranged and dangerous.”

Newsom also shared a video of Trump's Nebraska remarks alongside references to the president's previous arguments for deploying federal troops to Los Angeles and other US cities over crime and immigration enforcement.

Los Angeles mayor says remarks could compromise safety

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also criticised Trump, saying the president's words were dangerous.

“The president of the United States suggested that a foreign government attack Los Angeles. His statements against our city are dangerous and could potentially compromise our safety,” Bass said in a statement.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria similarly pushed back against Trump's comments.

“We are never a ‘small price to pay.’ Keep our city out of your reckless war talk,” Gloria wrote on X.

Republican candidate distances himself from Trump

Trump's comments also drew criticism from within the Republican Party.

Jim Desmond, a California Republican seeking a US House seat, said he “vehemently” disagreed with the president.

“America must stand up to Iran and defend our interests, but the first responsibility of our Commander in Chief is to protect the American people and our homeland,” Desmond wrote on X.

“No American city is expendable, and no American family should ever be treated as collateral damage,” he added.

Social media erupts over Trump’s comments

Trump’s ‘Let them take out LA or San Diego’ remark sparks social media backlash, debate

President Donald Trump’s comments suggesting that Iran could “take out” a major US city such as Los Angeles or San Diego have triggered a fierce debate on social media, with critics accusing the president of making reckless remarks about American lives while some supporters argued that he was warning about the potential consequences of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.

Some users interpreting his words as suggesting that the destruction of American cities would be an acceptable cost of the conflict.

“He literally just gave the terrorists targets that are ‘okay’ to bomb. This is insane,” one user wrote, adding the hashtag #25thAmendmentNOW.

Another commenter wrote: “Never in my life would I have thought the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WOULD SUGGEST A FOREIGN COUNTRY TO TAKE OUT CITIES. WHAT ARE WE DOING????”

A separate reaction called for Trump to face legal consequences, saying: “He should be in prison for saying that. Killing Americans....treason.”

Others focused on the potential human cost of an attack on Southern California.

“An American President said it's fine for a foreign country to kill approximately 5.3 million Americans in LA and SD because those two cities are located in a state that he lost,” one post said.

Another user said they had never expected a sitting US president to “callously incite a foreign enemy” to attack California and described the remarks as “appalling”, regardless of whether they were intended as a joke.

‘No president should ever think this’

One lengthy social media post from a Southern California resident expressed particular concern over Trump's choice of words.

“No president should ever think this about an American city, much less say it out loud,” the user wrote.

The commenter said millions of Americans live in the two cities and questioned how such a thought could come from a sitting president.

“Forget politics for a minute,” the post said, arguing that the statement should not simply be dismissed amid the steady stream of controversial political comments.

The post concluded by urging people not to become numb to such rhetoric.

Critics accuse Trump of dividing America

Some reactions framed Trump's remarks as evidence of political division.

“Joke or no joke. This shows his division of this country,” one user wrote, accusing Trump of not acting as president of the entire United States.

Other commenters went further, describing the remarks as “treason” and arguing that a president should defend every part of the country.

One post said: “Any President that isn’t willing to defend each and every inch of the United States is a traitor.”

Trump supporters defend his remarks

Not everyone interpreted Trump's comments as suggesting that an Iranian attack on American cities would be acceptable.

Several users argued that Trump was referring to a hypothetical scenario in which Iran obtained a nuclear weapon and could then threaten US cities.

One commenter criticised those attacking Trump, saying: “Obviously he’s talking about what Iran would do if they were allowed to get a nuclear weapon.”

Another said Trump's statement was a poor choice of words but argued that his broader point was that higher fuel prices were a relatively small price to pay compared with the consequences of Iran developing the ability to destroy a major American city.

“He's clearly making a point,” another supporter wrote, arguing that Los Angeles and San Diego were examples of California cities whose residents and officials strongly oppose Trump's Iran policy.