President Donald Trump is facing criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers after he suggested at a Nebraska rally that an Iranian strike on two of California’s largest cities would be an acceptable cost of the ongoing war.
Trump spoke at a rally on Oct. 5 ahead of the midterm election, describing the consequences of the war with Iran as a “small price to pay” for keeping the world and the country safe, adding that Iran could potentially take out an American city.
“And again, remember, with the war, it’s just artificial, it’s a little bit high, it’s a small price to pay,” he told the crowd, citing rising costs of fuel, fertilizer, and other goods attributed to energy market disruptions caused by the war.
“It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, for keeping our country safe. They could take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon,” Trump said.
“It’s essentially almost over with,” Trump went on. “But it’s going to end very soon, and it’s going to end one way or the other.”
CA-22 candidates condemn Trump’s remarks
The response was especially pointed in San Diego County’s 48th Congressional District, where Prop. 50 recently redrew the district to include more liberal-leaning voters in the open-seat race. Longtime Republican Rep. Darrell Issa will not seek reelection and has backed Republican San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond.
Both candidates, Democrat San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert and Desmond, condemned the remark.
Desmond, a Trump-endorsed Republican in the race, wrote that he “vehemently” disagrees with the president in this case. Desmond responded on X, stating no American city is expendable, and no American family should ever be treated as collateral damage.
“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 followed by highlighting his service as a Navy veteran, stating, “I served to protect Americans, not write off American cities as an acceptable price of war.”
Von Wilpert went further. She called the comment “appalling and terrifying” and described it as an impeachable offense.
“Californians are already paying for this terrible war every time we fill up the tank. Now, the President is talking about a foreign government attacking a United States city as if it was just the cost of doing business.”
She said Trump’s comments were an “impeachable offense” and called out Desmond for his continued support for Trump’s war on Iran.
This is a rare instance of Desmond diverging from Trump’s policies and rhetoric. The Trump-endorsed candidate has previously thanked the president for his support.
“Deranged and dangerous”: Newsom slams Trump’s comments
Other California leaders joined in on condemning the remarks. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also responded, saying “San Diego is not collateral damage,” telling the president to keep the city out of his “war talk.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the comments were “completely irresponsible” in an interview with MS NOW’s Peter Alexander.
“You don’t say something like that in jest…You are the president of the United States, and your number one job is to protect and defend the American people, not to invite a foreign power to attack a city.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom denounced the president’s comments as “deranged and dangerous” in a video on social media.
“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 wrote on X.
White House representatives double down
The White House pushed back on the criticism, framing the president’s remarks as a defense of the two cities, saying the administration is fighting to stop Iran from gaining the ability to strike LA and San Diego with a nuclear weapon.
The White House’s Rapid Response X account posted a response calling critics “buffoons,” saying Trump’s words were misunderstood. “He was saying the U.S. is fighting to STOP Iran from having the ability to take out LA and San Diego with a nuclear weapon — which they would if they had the chance.”
The controversy lands at a sensitive moment, with about four weeks remaining until the midterm elections, and it puts candidates like Desmond in the position of publicly breaking with the president who endorsed them in a closely watched race.
