White House defends Trump comment to let Iran 'take out' LA and San Diego

What the report says

The BBC reports that the White House has defended Donald Trump after he drew backlash for saying at a rally in Nebraska that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the remarks “deranged and dangerous,” while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also criticized the comments as irresponsible and harmful.

According to the White House, Trump was not urging attacks on US cities, but warning that they would have been at risk if Iran had been allowed to develop nuclear weapons. White House communications officials said his point was that the United States had acted to prevent a nuclear Iran, and that the “media freakout” around the remarks misrepresented what he meant. The article says there was applause from parts of the crowd when Trump made the comments.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of long-running tension between Trump and California leaders, especially Newsom. BBC notes that the cities mentioned are home to major military facilities, including Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force installations, which adds to the sensitivity of the exchange. The episode underscores how Trump’s foreign policy rhetoric can quickly spill into domestic political conflict, especially when it involves large American cities and questions of national security.