California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered the state’s threat assessment authorities to monitor for possible security risks after US President Donald Trump suggested that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego if it had the capability to do so.
The comments have triggered a political backlash in California, with state and local officials describing Trump’s remarks as dangerous, while the White House insists the president was warning about the potential consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran.
Trump made the comments on Monday during a campaign rally in Nebraska while discussing the conflict with Iran and defending US military action against the country.
“It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,” Trump said. “They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego.”
Sections of the audience reportedly cheered as the president referred to the two major California cities.
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The remarks quickly drew condemnation from California political leaders.
Governor Newsom described the statement as “deranged and dangerous” and said it raised concerns about how foreign actors might interpret the president’s words.
The following morning, Newsom announced that he had directed California’s State Threat Assessment Center to monitor the situation, particularly in the event that foreign actors could interpret Trump’s remarks as an invitation to target the state.
The state agency is responsible for identifying, assessing and helping prevent potential security threats in California.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also criticised the president’s comments, describing them as threats and arguing that they could encourage attacks against American lives.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria similarly pushed back, saying his city should not be treated as “collateral damage” in discussions surrounding the conflict.
In a post on X, Gloria called on Trump to leave San Diego out of what he described as the president’s “reckless war talk.”
White House Rejects Criticism
The White House has strongly rejected the interpretation put forward by California officials and some media organisations.
White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung described the reaction to Trump’s remarks as a “media freakout” and argued that the president was referring to what could have happened if Iran had developed nuclear weapons.
“He was clearly stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped,” Cheung wrote on X.
He added that the United States was safer because of the president’s actions, claiming that Iran now has no nuclear capability, navy, air force or money.
A separate post from the official White House rapid-response account also defended Trump’s remarks, accusing journalists covering the comments of misrepresenting what the president meant.
The White House said Trump was arguing that the United States had acted to prevent Iran from acquiring the capability to strike American cities with nuclear weapons.
The administration has repeatedly argued that disrupting Iran’s nuclear programme was necessary to protect US national security.
Why Los Angeles and San Diego?
Both cities have significant military and strategic importance to the United States.
San Diego, located about 17 miles from the US-Mexico border, is home to Naval Base San Diego, a major home port of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet.
The region also includes Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, a major training centre for Navy SEALs, as well as Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, where tens of thousands of military personnel and civilians work.
Los Angeles, approximately 120 miles north of San Diego, is the second-largest city in the United States and is also home to important military and aerospace facilities.
Among them is the headquarters of the US Space Force’s Space Systems Command and the Los Angeles Air Force Base.
Another Chapter in Trump-Newsom Clash
The latest dispute adds to a long-running political confrontation between Trump and Newsom.
The two have repeatedly clashed over immigration, federal authority, military deployments and California’s response to protests.
Last year, Trump criticised Newsom over his handling of violent protests connected to federal immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles.
Newsom, in turn, accused the Trump administration of a “brazen abuse of power” following the deployment of military personnel to protect federal buildings during the unrest.
Earlier this year, Trump also mocked Newsom over dyslexia, prompting criticism from dyslexia advocacy organisations.
The latest controversy comes as tensions between Washington and California remain high, with Trump’s comments about Los Angeles and San Diego now drawing renewed attention to the security implications of presidential rhetoric.
For now, California officials say they are monitoring the situation, while the White House maintains that Trump’s comments were intended to emphasise why the United States acted against Iran’s nuclear programme—not to suggest that American cities should be targeted.
