Topline
President Donald Trump on Wednesday repeated his controversial remarks about Iran potentially striking Los Angeles and San Diego, but said he won’t let that happen while arguing that paying a “little more” for oil prices was an acceptable cost to prevent Tehran from gaining access to nuclear weapons.
President Donald Trump waves as he leaves the stage after speaking during a campaign rally at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas.
Key Facts
Speaking at a rally in Texas, Trump said he was ensuring “that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” and reiterated his claim that the U.S. would be “out of there” soon and oil prices would “come down like a rock.”
Earlier this week, while addressing the Iran war at a rally in Nebraska, Trump said “Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” prompting backlash from Democratic leaders who argued he was inviting an attack on U.S. soil.
While talking about oil prices at Wednesday’s rally, Trump said: “You want to see trauma… I said it the other day: Let them hit a missile into San Diego or Los Angeles.”
The president argued that if such an attack were allowed to happen, the country “would be in freefall,” as he appeared to argue that the oil shock was a relatively small price to pay.
Trump then said: “We’re not going to let that happen. We protect our cities, we protect our country.”
What Did Trump Say At His Previous Rally?
On Monday night during a rally in Nebraska, Trump argued that the fuel price spike caused by the Iran war was “just artificial” and a “little bit high.” He then warned that Iran could “take out a city,” and added: “Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” prompting some cheers and applause from rally attendees. The president said the economic costs of the war were “a small price to pay,” but the phrasing prompted critics to argue that Trump believes such an attack on either city would be an acceptable cost. The White House has firmly pushed back against this interpretation, with Communications Director Steven Cheung noting that Trump was “clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped. America is safer because of the President.”
What Do We Know About The Backlash Against His Earlier Remark?
Trump’s comments drew fierce backlash from several Democratic leaders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who first tweeted: “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.” In a follow-up X post on Tuesday, Newsom said he was “directing the State Threat Assessment Center to actively monitor the situation in the event that foreign actors interpret the President’s remarks as an invitation to target California.” He also described Trump’s remarks as “dangerous…if not treasonous” and claimed it was “putting a target on two of our biggest cities and one of America’s largest naval hubs.” The mayors of two cities also called out Trump on X, with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria saying: “San Diego is not collateral damage. We are not expendable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay.'” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote that Trump had “suggested that a foreign government attack Los Angeles…The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives.”
further reading
Trump Draws Backlash For ‘Let Them Take Out Los Angeles’ Or ‘San Diego’ Iran War Remarks (Forbes)
‘Report Him To The FCC’: Kimmel Knocks Trump’s ‘Let Them Take Out Los Angeles’ Comment (Forbes)
This article was originally published on Forbes.com