California Governor Condemns Trump Over Remarks About Los Angeles and San Diego

LOS ANGELES: California Governor Gavin Newsom has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump after he suggested during a rally in Nebraska that Iran could “take out” major American cities including Los Angeles and San Diego.

Trump made the remarks on Monday while discussing the economic costs of the ongoing conflict with Iran. He described the impact of the war, including higher prices for fuel and other goods, as a “small price to pay” for keeping the United States and the world safe. He then referred to the possibility of an Iranian attack on a major U.S. city.

Newsom, a Democrat and one of Trump’s prominent political critics, denounced the comments as “deranged and dangerous.” He also referred to Trump’s previous decision to deploy National Guard and Marine forces to California, arguing that the president’s latest remarks further threatened the safety of residents.

“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,” Newsom said in a social media post.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also criticized the president, saying his remarks were dangerous and could potentially compromise the city’s security. She argued that no American city should be regarded as expendable in discussions about national security or military conflict.

The comments also drew criticism from Republican congressional candidate Jim Desmond, who said he disagreed with Trump and stressed that the U.S. government’s first responsibility was to protect American citizens. “No American city is expendable, and no American family should ever be treated as collateral damage,” Desmond said.

The controversy comes as California’s early voting for the November midterm elections has begun. Trump’s Republican Party has sought to make electoral gains in the traditionally Democratic state.

The White House rejected criticism of Trump’s remarks, saying they had been taken out of context. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said the president was explaining the danger that U.S. cities could have faced if Iran had been allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

Los Angeles and San Diego are California’s two largest cities. San Diego is also home to more than 115,000 active-duty service members, including personnel stationed at Naval Base San Diego, the largest U.S. Navy base on the West Coast.