Trump’s Los Angeles, San Diego Remark Sparks Backlash as “Small Price” Defense Fuels Incoherence Concerns
Updated
Updated · CNN · Oct 6
Trump’s Los Angeles, San Diego Remark Sparks Backlash as “Small Price” Defense Fuels Incoherence Concerns
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Oct 6
Summary
Nebraska rally remarks about Iran being able to “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego drew condemnation from Democrats and even GOP candidate Jim Desmond, who said Trump had written off American cities.
Context from Trump’s speech and earlier comments suggests he was again calling higher gas prices a “small price to pay” to stop Iran getting nuclear weapons, not explicitly endorsing attacks on California.
The uproar grew because Trump’s phrasing was so muddled that critics, some supporters in the crowd and even allies appeared to hear him as conceding the destruction of two U.S. cities.
The episode reinforces a broader concern around Trump’s increasingly hard-to-follow “weave” style on high-stakes issues, with critics arguing the confusion itself is dangerous when discussing nuclear war.