"Let Iran Destroy LA?" Trump's Remarks Spark Controversy

U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked controversy with remarks suggesting that it would not matter if Iran were to destroy Los Angeles and San Diego.

According to The New York Times and Reuters on the 6th local time, President Trump said during a speech in Nebraska yesterday regarding price hikes caused by the war with Iran that prices are a little high due to the war, but that this is a small price to pay.

He went on to say that it is a small price to pay to keep the world and the country safe, adding, "Let Iran destroy LA or San Diego."

Although President Trump did not specify who "they" referred to in his speech, interpretations emerged that his remarks implied it would not matter even if Iran attacked these cities, given that the comments were made while explaining the justification for the war with Iran.

Some reacted with outrage, arguing that his comments likened a potential Iranian attack on U.S. cities to a small price acceptable to pay for national security.

Sharp reactions immediately poured in from political circles in California, where both cities are located.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, considered a potential Democratic presidential candidate, issued a statement through the congressional publication The Hill, claiming that President Trump is suffering from a mental illness and arguing that it is time to invoke the 25th Amendment.

The 25th Amendment is a provision outlining the procedures and requirements by which the vice president and others can assume the powers of the president.

In a separate YouTube video today, Governor Newsom called the remarks extremely dangerous and insane, practically demanding the invocation of the 25th Amendment by telling Vice President JD Vance, the administration, and the Republican leadership to "do what you need to do."

Senator Alex Padilla, who is from LA, raised his voice on X, calling for the 25th Amendment immediately.

LA Mayor Karen Bass also stated that the U.S. president suggested a foreign government attack LA, calling his remarks targeting their city dangerous and potentially threatening to public safety.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria stated that this is by no means a small price to pay and urged authorities to keep their city out of reckless war rhetoric.

Criticism continued to emerge from within the Republican Party as well.

Jim Desmond, a Republican running for the U.S. House of Representatives in California, distanced himself from the comments, stating that he strongly opposes President Trump's remarks and that no American city can be sacrificed.

Observations have been raised that President Trump's latest remarks could become a negative factor in the midterm elections, which are less than a month away.

As the controversy grew, the White House issued a fierce rebuttal.

The White House explained via its X account that President Trump was simply speaking about the threat from Iran, and that the hallucinating media was blowing the controversy out of proportion with zero basis in reality.

It added that President Trump had made it clear that U.S. cities would have been threatened if he had not stopped Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

An atmosphere of concern is spreading within the Republican Party that this controversy over the remarks will not help in the elections.

Rob Stutzman, a California Republican strategist, pointed out that while they tried to rally the base, the central narrative of this situation is that Republican candidates facing tough election battles need to distance themselves from the president, adding that one of the biggest problems facing the Republican Party is that the party's president is out of his mind.

The argument to invoke the 25th Amendment against President Trump was previously raised during the January 6 Capitol riot in 2021, and following the launch of the second administration, former CIA Director John Brennan argued for its application in a media interview last April.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.