White House blasts media coverage of Trump’s remark about Iran destroying LA and San Diego
Por Brendan Rascius — – World RSS Feed
White House blasts media coverage of Trump’s remark about Iran destroying LA and San Diego
‘The media freakout over President Trump’s comments is not rooted in reality,’ White House Communications Director Steven Cheung wrote on social media
Brendan Rascius in New York Tuesday 06 October 2026 19:22 BST
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The White House blasted media coverage of President Donald Trump’s viral remarks about Iran destroying American cities, arguing that news outlets had taken his comments out of context.
At a rally in Nebraska on Monday, Trump discussed rising prices tied to the ongoing Iran war, calling them “a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe.”
“They could take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles; let them take out San Diego,” he said next, drawing cheers from the crowd. “This is a very small price to pay. And it’s gonna be over with very soon.”
The remarks quickly drew condemnation from Democrats and made headlines nationwide. The Los Angeles Times, for instance, ran the headline: “Trump suggests letting Iran ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego at campaign rally.”
The White House responded by accusing the newspaper of misrepresenting Trump’s point.
“No, he didn’t, you buffoons,” the White House Rapid Response account wrote on X in response to the Times’ article. “He was saying the U.S. is fighting to STOP Iran from having the ability to take out LA and San Diego with a nuclear weapon — which they would if they had the chance.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung echoed that defense.
“The media freakout over President Trump’s comments is not rooted in reality,” he wrote on X. “He 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.”
Trump also found an unlikely defender in CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale, who has spent years scrutinizing and debunking many of the president’s claims.
Dale challenged a post from Headquarters, an account linked to Kamala Harris, that shared a video of Trump with the caption: “Trump on Iran: Let ‘em take out Los Angeles and San Diego, it’s a small price to pay.”
“This isn’t a direct quote from Trump, and I very much don’t think it’s a correct paraphrase,” Dale wrote on X. “Trump has repeatedly argued that the consequences of the war, like higher gas prices, are a small price to pay compared to what an unchecked Iran could allegedly do.”
Dale added that Trump’s “rambling and incomplete fashion” of speaking made it difficult to discern his meaning.
The president’s remarks drew swift condemnation Monday night from several top California Democrats.
“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,” California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on social media. “He is deranged and dangerous.”
“The President of the United States suggested that a foreign government attack Los Angeles,” added Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “His statements against our city are dangerous and could potentially compromise our safety.”
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White HouseDonald TrumpIranLos AngelesSan Diego
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