What Trump said in Nebraska
President Donald Trump drew criticism from California leaders after he told a midterm rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, that Iran could take out a major American city and that the price would be worth paying. Speaking about the war with Iran and the higher fuel prices that followed, he said the cost was a small price to pay for keeping the world and the country safe. He then added that Iran could take out a city, and said: let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego.
The line drew applause in the hall. Within hours it had travelled far beyond it.
California leaders respond
Governor Gavin Newsom called the president deranged and dangerous. He pointed to National Guard and Marine deployments in California and said Trump was now inviting foreign enemies to strike the state. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the remarks were dangerous and could compromise public safety. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote that his city is not collateral damage and is never a small price to pay, and asked the president to keep it out of reckless war talk.
The White House rapid response team pushed back, saying the United States is fighting to prevent Iran from gaining the ability to attack the two cities with a nuclear weapon. One Republican running in a competitive redrawn district near San Diego distanced himself from the comments.
Why the timing matters
Early voting for November's midterm elections began in California on Monday, the same day as the rally. Fuel prices linked to the Iran war have become a liability for Republicans, and the president's argument is that the economic pain is temporary and worth the security gain. Democrats in the state, and some Republicans in close races, are testing whether voters accept that trade-off.
The episode also lands in the middle of a heated fight over federal deployments in California, which Newsom's office has described as an occupation. Neither side shows signs of stepping back, and the remark is likely to appear in campaign advertising in the weeks before election day.