President Donald Trump’s effort to defend the economic cost of the Iran war turned into a new political controversy Monday after he told supporters that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego while arguing that wartime price increases were a “small price to pay.”
Speaking at a campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, Trump said higher prices tied to the conflict were temporary and justified by national security, Reuters reports.
“It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, for keeping our country safe,” Trump said. “They could take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon.”
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The remarks came during a midterm campaign stop focused heavily on affordability. Earlier Monday, Trump signed an executive order expanding access to tax-exempt dyed diesel through the end of 2026, an attempt to ease fuel costs for truckers, farmers, and other users. The federal diesel tax is 24.4 cents per gallon.
The economic backdrop has become increasingly important ahead of the November 3 midterms. A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed Monday put Trump’s approval rating at 32%, matching the lowest reading of his political career. The poll found cost of living was voters’ top issue after gasoline and diesel prices rose during the Iran war.
California Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump “deranged and dangerous” while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the president had suggested a foreign government attack an American city and warned that the comments could compromise public safety.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote, “We are not expendable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay.’ Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”
The criticism was not limited to Democrats. Jim Desmond, a Republican candidate for a California House seat, said he “vehemently” disagreed with Trump and added that “no American city is expendable.”
The New York Post later reported that White House Communications Director Steven Cheung disputed the interpretation of Trump’s remarks, saying the president was describing the threat a nuclear-armed Iran could pose to American cities rather than advocating an attack.
Trump has repeatedly argued that the Iran war was necessary to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
