Trump says Iran-strike remarks on LA, San Diego were misread as gas-price talk
After days of bipartisan backlash and 25th Amendment calls, Trump says he was only comparing gas prices, not inviting an attack.
Part of a larger narrative
Trump's Iran Confrontation
- Trump denies Russia and China are aiding Iran in US standoff
- Maariv: US urged Israel to strike Iran alone before midterms, officials deny it
- Putin pledges to 'do everything' to help end US-led war on Iran
- Trump says Iran-strike remarks on LA, San Diego were misread as gas-price talkyou are here
- Trump Rules Out Iran Strikes Before Midterms, Pentagon Plans Linger
What to know
- Trump told a Nebraska rally crowd Iran could "take out" Los Angeles or San Diego, framing it as a small price to pay for lower gas prices, then repeated the line at a San Antonio rally two days later.
- The remarks drew bipartisan condemnation, with San Diego's mayor rejecting the framing and Governor Newsom calling for Trump's removal from office.
- Democrats renewed calls to invoke the 25th Amendment over the comments.
- On October 8, Trump said the media had misrepresented him, insisting he was only comparing the cost of the war to gas prices, not inviting an attack.
The dispute Whether Trump's comment was a reckless invitation for Iran to attack U.S. cities or an inarticulate reference to the costs of avoiding war through his Iran policy. · positions read across 478 posts and comments
This is a dangerous, potentially treasonous statement encouraging an attack on American soil.
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“THAT'S TREASON!!! That's absolutely the DEFINITION of TREASON! He's literally CALLING for an attack, by an enemy that HE MADE, on an AMERICAN CITY!!!”
doug-profitt.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Trump's clumsy point was that his war with Iran is preventing attacks, not inviting them.
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“As stupid as he is, the point he's making is that his dumb war is preventing Iran from nuking cities.”
jefffowler.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
There is a double standard: this would be a far bigger scandal if a Democratic president had said it.
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“I know it's a cliche at this point, but Jesus Christ, imagine if Obama. Imagine if Biden.”
danthiell.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Trump doesn't care about any American city and would welcome destruction if it served him.
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“Could be any major US city and he wouldn't care. In fact, he'd be thrilled”
bronckielanche.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Donald Trump U.S. President
Gavin Newsom California GovernorTodd Gloria San Diego Mayor
How it unfolded 7 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideospostscomments
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Trump says media misrepresented his comments
Trump lashed out at media coverage, insisting he was not inviting an attack on California but making a comparison about tolerating higher gas prices because of the war.
“All I was doing was making a comparison…”
— Donald Trump -
first by The Hill, 6d ago
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🇺🇸🇮🇷 Trump is FURIOUS over reports suggesting he invited Iran to bomb Los Angeles and San Diego. He says his remarks were taken completely out of context. His actual argument, he insists, was that Americans paying more for gasoline is a relatively small sacrifice compared with
2 more of the top 3 · 5 posts in this stretch
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Fox News and the conservative media machine was spawned by conservatives who were pissed conservative crimes were not allowed to be swept under the rug. America broke around Nixon. Nixon was where the shuffling of all the conservatives into the Republican party metastasized fully. Their goal was united to reshape the US in a conservative wet dream…
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🇺🇸🇮🇷 Trump thinks the West Coast would be first in line if Iran fired on the U.S. He said Iran would “probably hit places like San Diego, Los Angeles first because the route for a missile is much more convenient.” If by convenient he meant distance, then New York is actually
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Video of repeated remarks circulates widely
Footage of Trump reiterating the "let them hit" line spread rapidly online, intensifying criticism after he had already faced days of backlash over the original comments.
“Let them hit a missile into San Diego or Los Angeles on the way. You want to see a horror show? Let them hit San Diego. Let them hit Los Angeles. You want to see some bad things happen?”
— Donald Trump -
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Hey, @cnn.com In your article: www.cnn.com/2026/10/06/p... You said "Trump’s comment about Iran nuking Los Angeles and San Diego was incoherent, not malicious" You wanna maybe rethink that stance?
2 more of the top 3 · 14 posts in this stretch
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⚡ NEWS Trump Recasts Iran Threats at Texas Rally President Trump clarified earlier incendiary remarks suggesting Iran could 'take out' Los Angeles or San Diego during a rally in San Antonio. The comments were part of an effort to galvanize Texas Republicans ahead of the midterm elections, marking a shift in tone from previous aggressive... 📰…
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So is this Trump indicating that they're going to do a false flag attack on a California city before the midterms so he can have his emergency powers? You know how he can't keep his yapper shut about things that are trying to keep secret.
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Trump repeats the comments at a San Antonio rally
Rather than walking back the remarks, Trump doubled down at a rally in San Antonio, again saying he'd be willing to see Iran strike Los Angeles or San Diego as part of the cost of the war.
“But you wanna see trauma? You wanna see problems? ... let them hit a missile into San Diego or Los Angeles on the way. Let them hit—you wanna see a horror show?”
— Donald Trump -
first by HuffPost UK, 6d ago · also HuffPost
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first by New Republic, 6d ago
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Trump: "Let them hit a missile into San Diego or Los Angeles on the way. You want to see a horror show? Let them hit San Diego. Let them hit Los Angeles. You want to see some bad things happen?"
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California Governor Gavin Newsom called for Trump to be removed from office after his comment about Iran bombing San Diego and LA.
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Fury in # California After # Trump Suggests # Iran ‘Take Out’ # LA or # SanDiego Speaking at a # Republican political rally in Nebraska, Trump … suggested there could be strikes on the United States, including the # Democratic led Californian cities. “They could take out a city,” he said. “Let them take — Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them…
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Bipartisan lawmakers and Newsom demand accountability
Both Democratic and Republican officials criticized the comments, and Newsom and other Democrats called for Trump's removal from office, with some Democrats renewing calls to invoke the 25th Amendment.
“Keep our city out of your reckless war talk…”
— Todd Gloria, San Diego Mayor · source -
first by Fox News, 7d ago · also Breitbart, Time Magazine, Time
2 more headlines
- Anti-Trump California Gov. Gavin Newsom Calls For Invoking 25th Amendment Breitbart · 7d ago
- Newsom Calls for 25th Amendment After Trump Imagines Iran Attacking California Time Magazine · 7d ago
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first by Newsweek, 7d ago
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After Donald Trump publicly suggested that Iran should "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego, it appears that Iran had other plans...
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“.. The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives,” she said in a social media statement. @nytimes.com
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U.S. President Donald Trump suggested to a crowd of his supporters in Nebraska that Iran could "take out" a major U.S. city such as Los Angeles or San Diego, drawing a swift rebuke from California's leaders. https://www. japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/10/ 07/world/politics/trump-california-los-angeles-iran/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #…
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San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria rebukes Trump's remarks
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria publicly pushed back, saying his city would not be treated as expendable in rhetoric about the war with Iran.
“San Diego is not collateral damage. We are not expendable. And we are never a 'small price to pay.'”
— Todd Gloria -
6 outlets Live updates: White House pushes back as California officials fume over Trump's Iran remark
first by The Hill, 8d ago · also WAGA-TV, CBS News, Channel News Asia, Al-Monitor, Breitbart
6 more headlines
- White House responds to backlash over Trump's ‘take out’ LA, San Diego remarks WAGA-TV · 8d ago
- WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS TRUMP COMMENTS ON LA, SAN DIEGO CBS News · 8d ago
- White House pushes back on characterization of Trump's Iran comments on LA, San Diego The Hill · 8d ago
- White House defends Trump's Iran comments on LA, San Diego Political.org · 8d ago
- White House denies Trump suggested Iran should 'take out' US cities Channel News Asia · 8d ago
- White House Fires Back at Critics After Trump's Remark That Iran 'Can Take Out a City' Breitbart · 8d ago
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first by Yahoo News Canada, 8d ago · also HuffPost
1 more headline
- Trump's Response To Question About LA-San Diego Remark Is... Something HuffPost · 7d ago
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Trump on letting Iran bomb the U.S.: ‘Let 'em take out Los Angeles and San Diego, it's a small price to pay.’ This is a sitting president encouraging a foreign country to bomb one of his own cities because the people in that city didn’t vote for him. #25thAmendment. Now.
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California officials denounce President Trump for saying at a campaign rally in Nebraska that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego, calling his remarks “deranged” and “irresponsible.”
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During a campaign event last night in Nebraska, Donald Trump was speaking about gas prices and the war with Iran. He said it was just fine for Iran to take out a US city of 4 million residents! "It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let them take—let—let them take out Los Angeles…
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Newsom calls Trump 'deranged and dangerous'
California Governor Gavin Newsom responded on social media, linking the remarks to prior deployment of National Guard and Marines in California and calling Trump's comments deranged and dangerous.
“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 is deranged and dangerous.”
— Gavin Newsom -
2 outlets first by The Hill, 8d ago · also Independent UK · read ↗
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first by Governor of California, 8d ago
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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 is deranged and dangerous.
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Democratic leaders and lawmakers from California called out Trump’s remarks and accused him of “inviting an attack” on U.S. soil.
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Trump said. “Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay.” https://www. msn.com/en-us/news/other/trump -says-to-let-iran-take-out-los-angeles-san-diego-in-nebraska-speech/ar-AA2dDiVV Citizens of the United States of America. This is your 34 time convicted felon president saying so our enemies can…
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Trump says Iran could 'take out' Los Angeles or San Diego
At a campaign rally in Nebraska, Trump said high gas prices from the war were an acceptable cost, adding that Iran could strike Los Angeles or San Diego as "a very small price to pay."
“They could take out a city. Let them take—Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. That's—this is a very small price to pay.”
— Donald Trump -
32 outlets first by ABC News, 8d ago · also Guardian, NY Post, New York Post, NBC News, The Hill, Global News +25 · read ↗
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17 outlets first by Toowoomba Chronicle, 8d ago · also Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Globe and Mail, CTV News, KTVZ-TV, CNN, BBC +10 · read ↗
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BREAKING: In Nebraska rally, Trump just suggested he would be unbothered to see Iran "take out" LA or San Diego: “They could take out a city,” he said. “Let them take—Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. That’s—this is a very small price to pay."
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Trump on Iran: Let 'em take out Los Angeles and San Diego, it's a small price to pay
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The commander-in-chief, speaking in Nebraska, suggests he wouldn't mind if Iran destroyed two of California's largest cities. https://www. c-span.org/clip/campaign-2026/ user-clip-let-iran-take-out-los-angeles-san-diego/5207907
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Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by Guardian US, 8d ago · also Guardian
and 4 smaller pieces
What people are saying 12 voices from 4 sites · best of 478 · verbatim
- Was Trump actually saying his war prevents an Iranian strike, or inviting one?
- Why would he single out Los Angeles and San Diego specifically?
- Will any lawmakers act on renewed calls to invoke the 25th Amendment?
- Oct 7
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Governor Newsom, it’s time the state of California open a treason investigation against the president of the US trump. We all know he violated his oath to the constitution when he said Iran should take out Los Angeles and San Diego. That’s treason. @GovPressOffice
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There's a lot of conspiratorial misinformation going around about this. The US election system is very secure. Its decentralization is its strength. Thousands of offices employ volunteers to manually count ballots, 98% of which are paper. The count is a multi-week endeavor and everything is verifiable. Yes there are mistakes and occasional bad…
- Oct 6
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Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed outrage at Trump's remarks that cities could be sacrificed in Iran war.
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I only point to this silly story b/c it makes two glaring errors, (1) of conflation of radioactive risks from dirty bombs with nukes, (2) and buying the false narrative that Iran can target the US with nukes. Trump is scared and desperate. The apologist media is trying to cover for him. # USPol # IranWar https://www. axios.com/2026/10/06/trump-ira…
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President Donald Trump is facing bipartisan backlash after comments at a campaign rally in which he suggested that Iran could "take out" two cities in California.
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Isn't san diego a red district? there are definitely trumpers there and he would not care if his own voters are killed. not that this is any surprise because he has threatened red states with taking away their federal funds unless they gerrymander, or Iowa's funding unless they have data centers or a red district's water funding because he does…
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As an american I think it's funny, 2/3 of the electorate voted for the guy or couldn't be bothered to get their ass off the couch...seems like we're getting the government we voted for. It'll be funny again in about a month when dems underperform because again people won't come out to vote in their best interests. And it'll be funny again when he…
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Thankfully the type of thing he is talking about is virtually impossible for non state actors to accomplish. Nuclear weapons are still the most restricted and guarded pieces of weaponry on the planet. Even our adversaries would not want them floating around in the wild...it is too easy for unintended consequences or something to backfire…
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A sitting president admitting that an enemy of the state, one that we're in an active war with, could destroy U.S. territory and he'd be glad about it should immediately result in the invocation of the 25th amendment. Full stop. I don't care who it is or for what reason we're at war; this is admission that American lives and territory are less…
- Oct 5
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In a deranged speech tonight, Trump called on Iran to use a nuclear weapon against Los Angeles and San Diego, calling it "a very small price to pay." The president of the United States encouraged a foreign nation to commit a heinous crime against humanity and incinerate millions
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We are in a war and our commander in chief is asking Iran to attack Los Angeles and San Diego. People who like chaos, destruction, and death will say he's just joking and it doesn't reflect what he is thinking about Americans in his failing brain and withered soul. https://www. c-span.org/clip/campaign-2026/…
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To be totally clear, here's the full quote, which indicates he may also be saying that Iran would nuke CA without his war against the country: