California Gov. Gavin Newsom has directed the State Threat Assessment Center to monitor for potential threats after President Donald Trump mentioned San Diego and Los Angeles while warning at a Nebraska campaign rally Monday that Iran could “take out” a U.S. city with a nuclear weapon.
Newsom on Tuesday said his decision was “in the event that foreign actors interpret the President’s remarks as an invitation to target California.”
“Donald Trump’s remarks were dangerous — if not treasonous — putting a target on two of our biggest cities and one of America’s largest naval hubs,” Newsom said in a post on X.
When reached for comment on Newsom’s remarks, a White House spokesperson pointed to a post on X by White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, who said criticisms of Trump’s comments were “not rooted in reality.”
“He was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped,” Cheung’s early Tuesday morning post reads. “America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money.”
What did Trump say at Nebraska campaign rally?
Speaking at a midterm-election rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, Trump argued Americans should accept the economic impact, most notably higher gasoline prices, resulting from the Iran war.
“It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,” he said. “They can take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay.”
The remarks quickly circulated online Monday evening, drawing sharp condemnation from California officials, who argued Trump’s comments either invited attacks on the cities or downplayed the consequences of such an attack. The White House said the president was warning of the threat posed by a nuclear-armed Iran.
Newsom responded on social media Monday evening, linking Trump’s remarks to the administration’s recent deployments of federal forces into California.
“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. “He is deranged and dangerous.”
Los Angeles and San Diego are California’s two largest Southern California metropolitan areas and together are home to millions of residents, major military installations, international trade hubs and critical economic infrastructure. There is no evidence Iranian weapons have the range to attack the continental United States or the power to obliterate entire U.S. cities.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also condemned the president’s comments.
“San Diego is not collateral damage,” Gloria wrote. “We are not expendable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay.’ Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, in a statement, called Trump’s remarks “dangerous,” saying they could “potentially compromise our safety.”
“The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives,” Bass wrote on X.
California Sen. Adam Schiff also blasted Trump’s comments Monday, questioning if Trump would be troubled by an attack on two American cities.
The controversy adds to ongoing tensions between Trump and California’s Democratic leadership, which have intensified over immigration enforcement, National Guard deployments and federal-state clashes throughout the president’s second term.
Newsom previously called on State Threat Assessment Center
This is not the first time Newsom has directed the State Threat Assessment Center — which helps California officials and public safety agencies monitor threats, share information and respond to crimes, emergencies and other risks across the state — to monitor for developing situations.
Newsom also directed the center to monitor for potential threats on June 21, 2025, after the president announced that the United States had successfully launched a military attack against three nuclear sites in Iran.
“While there are no specific or credible counter threats we are aware of at this time, we urge everyone to stay vigilant and report suspicious activity,” Newsom said in post on X.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Newsom orders threat monitoring over Trump’s Iran remarks