White House Explains Trump Remark About Southern California

President Donald Trump drew condemnation from California leaders after naming Los Angeles and San Diego during a Monday campaign rally in Nebraska. While discussing the Iran conflict, he suggested that losing a city would be a limited cost for protecting the country and the world. Some people in the crowd cheered when he mentioned the two California cities.

Governor Gavin Newsom called the remarks dangerous and deranged. The following morning, he ordered California’s State Threat Assessment Center to watch for signs that foreign actors might treat Trump’s words as permission to strike the state. The center’s role is identifying and preventing security threats. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass characterized the statement as a threat against American lives, while San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria rejected portraying his city as collateral damage.

White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung said Trump meant that Iran could have endangered US cities if its nuclear ambitions had not been stopped. An official White House rapid response account offered the same explanation, saying the president was discussing efforts to prevent a nuclear attack on Los Angeles or San Diego. Trump has not answered the criticism from California officials.

The dispute carries particular weight across Southern California because both named cities contain major military facilities. San Diego includes Naval Base San Diego, Naval Amphibious Base Coronado and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, where 70,000 military members and civilian employees work. Los Angeles contains Los Angeles Air Force Base and the US Space Force’s space system command headquarters.