"The media's overreaction to President Donald Trump's comments is unfounded. He was clearly saying that American cities would be threatened if Iran's nuclear program is not stopped. The US is now safer thanks to President Trump. Iran has no nuclear weapons, navy, air force, or money," White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said on october 6.
The White House official posted a video of the US President speaking at a rally in Nebraska the day before. "It's a small price to pay to keep the world and our country safe. They could wipe out a city, let them wipe out Los Angeles and San Diego, that's a very small price to pay," Trump said.
In a social media post, the White House account called journalists working for the Los Angeles Times "clowns" for reporting on President Trump's remarks, while also refuting the interpretation of California Governor Gavin Newsom and others.
"The President said that the US is fighting to prevent Iran from acquiring the capability to wipe out Los Angeles and San Diego with nuclear weapons, which they would do if given the chance," the account wrote.
Governor Newsom, a Democrat who may run for president in 2028, previously criticized President Trump as "dangerous and insane." "After deploying the National Guard and Marines here, Trump now says foreign enemies should wipe out Los Angeles and San Diego, which is insane and dangerous," he wrote on social media.
Newsom also directed the California Threat Assessment Center to monitor the situation, in case "foreign powers interpret that statement as an invitation to attack the state."
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria asked President Trump not to mention the city in his "reckless statements about war."
 |
President Trump in Nebraska on october 5. Photo: AP |
Los Angeles has an estimated population of about 3,8 million people in 2025, covering over 1,200 square kilometers. It is the largest city in California and the second largest in the US. The headquarters of the US Space Force's Space Systems Command is located in the city.
Located 17 kilometers from the Mexican border, San Diego is the eighth largest city in the US and home to the Pacific Fleet, as well as the main training center for SEAL special forces on the US West Coast. Marine Corps Base Pendleton, where 70,000 service members and civilians work, is also located in San Diego.
President Trump often criticizes American cities during his campaign rallies, especially large urban areas that tend to lean strongly Democratic.
At a recent rally in North Carolina, he described cities in that state as "bloody death traps," even though North Carolina's violent crime rate is in the middle range compared to other states, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Pham Giang (According to AP, BBC)
