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At a campaign rally in Nebraska, President Donald Trump defended rising prices from the Iran war, then named two of America’s largest cities. California’s leaders condemned the remarks. Trump did not explain what he meant.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego, calling it a “small price to pay,” while defending the Iran war at a campaign rally in Nebraska.
“They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” Trump said to applause from the crowd. “This is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon,” according to ABC7 Los Angeles.
Together, the two cities are home to millions of people. California’s governor and the mayors of both cities quickly condemned the remarks.
It was not clear whether Trump was joking, and he did not explain what he meant. There was no explanation from the White House in the reports we reviewed.
What Trump said
Trump spoke at the Nebraska State Fairgrounds in Grand Island on the evening of October 5, at a midterm campaign event for Republican Senator Pete Ricketts.
He was talking about the cost of living, and especially fuel prices, which have risen sharply since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February.
Trump called the price rises “just artificial.” He said: “It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe.”
Then came the line about the two cities. The crowd applauded, according to KTLA.
Up to that point, the “small price to pay” was fuel prices. In the next breath, it was two American cities. His words don’t make clear whether he meant Iran could attack them, or that Americans should accept that risk.
California leaders react
California Governor Gavin Newsom shared a clip of the remarks on X. “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 wrote. He called the president “deranged and dangerous.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote: “San Diego is not collateral damage. And we are never a ‘small price to pay.’ Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement: “The President of the United States suggested that a foreign government attack Los Angeles.” She called the remark dangerous, and said it could put the city’s safety at risk.
These are the words of Trump’s political opponents. Newsom and Bass are Democrats, and Newsom has clashed with Trump many times.
Why LA and San Diego?
Trump didn’t say why he named these two cities.
Both are among the largest cities in California. San Diego is home to one of the biggest U.S. Navy bases in the world, and Los Angeles has one of the largest Iranian communities outside Iran. But there’s no evidence he chose them for either reason.
Could Iran actually attack Los Angeles or San Diego?
This is the question many readers will ask, and the answer matters.
Iran has long said it limits the range of its missiles to about 2,000 kilometres, or roughly 1,240 miles. Los Angeles is more than 12,000 kilometres from Iran. So an Iranian missile attack on California would need weapons far beyond the range Iran has said its missiles have.
U.S. officials have warned for years that Iran’s space programme could one day help it build longer-range missiles. But there is no public evidence that Iran can strike the U.S. mainland today.
Some people online have described Trump’s comment as being about a nuclear attack. He did not say “nuclear.” That is how some critics read it, not what he said.
“Over with very soon”
Trump also said the war would be “over with very soon.” He described the economic pain, mainly higher fuel prices, as short-term and worth it for American and global security.
That left a contrast in the same speech. Trump said the war was nearly over, while also describing an attack on an American city as an acceptable cost.
What the remarks mean
The fight over Trump’s words isn’t only about fuel prices. It’s about how leaders talk about the costs of war, when those costs could include people’s lives.
Trump’s supporters may hear a rough way of saying that America must accept some risk to win. His critics say that calling two major cities a “small price to pay” treats millions of people as if their lives don’t matter.
Nothing in what Trump said announced any change in policy. But his words have started a new debate: what cost is the president willing to accept in the Iran war, and should any American city ever be described as an acceptable price?
By The Lion Capital Editorial Team | October 2026