Trump’s remarks on Los Angeles and San Diego spark backlash

Speaking at a campaign rally in Nebraska on October 5, Trump said Americans should be prepared to make sacrifices to secure victory in the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Referring to the possible consequences of the conflict, Trump said Iran could “take” Los Angeles or San Diego, describing such a scenario as a “very small price to pay”. He also repeated his claim that the war would end soon.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and a vocal Trump critic, called the remarks dangerous and urged Congress to rein in the president.

Some Republicans also distanced themselves from Trump’s comments. Republican Jim Desmond, who is running for the House of Representatives in the San Diego area, said no American city should be considered expendable.

The White House rejected the criticism. Communications Director Steven Cheung said Trump was referring to the potential threat posed to US cities if Iran had been allowed to retain nuclear weapons.

The US midterm elections will take place in November. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and about one-third of the Senate seats will be contested.