![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2268828743-GI.JPG\" "\\"President")
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President Donald Trump acknowledges those in attendance after speaking from the Cross Hall of the White House on April 1, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Trump used the prime-time address to update the nation on the war in Iran.<\/p>\n
Alex Brandon-Pool<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
California political leaders reacted with a mix of disbelief and outrage after President Donald Trump said Wednesday the U.S. had scored \u201cdecisive, overwhelming victories\u201d in the month-old war with Iran in his first speech since the U.S. and Israel began their strikes on Feb. 28.<\/a><\/p>\n Trump claimed his administration had \u201cabsolutely destroyed\u201d Iran\u2019s defenses and \u201ccrippled\u201d its ability to build nuclear weapons. He downplayed the economic disturbances caused by the war as temporary.<\/p>\n By the end of his 20-minute address, the price of oil had risen to $104 a barrel<\/a> as Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world\u2019s gas and oil reserves flow, though Trump dismissed that, saying \u201cAmerica has plenty of gas. We have so much gas.\u201d<\/p>\n California Democrats seized upon the economic and human impacts of the war, which has claimed the lives of at least 13 American troops and caused a fracture within the Republican Party between Make America Great Again isolationists and GOP war hawks.<\/p>\n \u201cHe brought America into a war the people do not want,\u201d former Vice President Kamala Harris said in a pre-recorded video<\/a>. \u201cHe has put American troops in harm\u2019s way. Costs are rising by the day, and meanwhile he has done nothing to address the needs of the people of America.\u201d<\/p>\n U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla warned the consequences would be far-reaching, even if Trump successfully ended the conflict, as the military strikes have led Iran to retaliate against other Gulf States: \u201cWith his poll numbers falling to record lows, Trump is now trying to cut and run with little to show for it. He started this unauthorized war with no clear or consistent justification and the consequences of his choices won\u2019t disappear when he walks away.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, said on X<\/a>: \u201c\u2019The strongest economy in history\u2019 Trump said tonight. Totally delusional.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump said the U.S. was \u201con the cusp of ending Iran\u2019s sinister threat\u201d to the U.S. and allies like Israel, and that the military would ramp up its offenses but did not offer details: \u201cWe\u2019re going to hit them extremely hard. Over the next two to three weeks, we\u2019re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.\u201d<\/p>\n He also threatened to bomb power plants if Iranian leaders did not agree to a \u201cdeal\u201d to end the war, a potential war crime<\/a> as they supply energy to non-military civilians. He called the plants \u201cthe easiest target of all, because it would not give them even a small chance of survival or rebuilding.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe only thing worse than taking us into another Middle East war is telling us nothing about how to end it,\u201d said Rep. Ro Khanna,<\/a> D-Fremont.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
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