Trump Sparks Outrage Over Remark That Destruction of LA Is a 'Small Price to Pay'

[Anchor]

U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked controversy with remarks suggesting that the destruction of Los Angeles and San Diego could be unavoidable. The comments came as he discussed the sacrifices required due to a war with Iran, prompting the White House to step in and claim his true intentions were distorted.

Reporting from Washington, this is correspondent Lee Hanseok.

[Reporter]

During a campaign rally in Nebraska, U.S. President Trump justified rising prices driven by a war with Iran, calling it a small price to pay to keep the world safe.

The problem was what he said next.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: They could wipe out a city. Let them do it. Let them do it. Let them wipe out Los Angeles, let them wipe out San Diego.]

Although President Trump did not specify who "they" were, contextually his remarks were interpreted to mean that even if Iran were to strike the U.S. mainland, it would be an acceptable price to pay, causing a major uproar.

Politicians immediately pushed back.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, directly criticized the remarks as unhinged and dangerous, while mayors of the affected cities and even a Republican candidate turned their backs, stating that no American city can be sacrificed.

As the controversy grew, the White House countered that the president was warning of the consequences of failing to stop Iran's nuclear threat, accusing the media of distorting his words.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military returned all 12 B-1 strategic bombers stationed at the Fairford Air Force Base in the U.K. back to the U.S. over the weekend.

This followed intelligence that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran had recruited local collaborators and plotted a drone attack aimed at assassinating pilots and striking bombers inside the base.

With the U.S. military having received reports late last month even concerning potential vehicle-borne bomb attacks, military threats and tensions directed by Iran toward the U.S. mainland and overseas bases have reached a fever pitch.

(Video Shooting: Oh Jung-shik | Video Editing: Lee Seung-yeol)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.