Did Trump say of Iran, ‘Let ’em take out’ LA and San Diego?

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            <p class="fact_check_info_description">Trump delivered these remarks during an unscripted tangent at a political rally in Nebraska. Numerous observers, including prominent Democratic lawmakers and political commentators, interpreted his statements as suggesting that the destruction of two major California metropolitan areas would be an acceptable cost to conclude the conflict. In response, White House spokesperson Steven Cheung stated via X that Trump "was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped."</p>
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<p>On October 5, digital platforms <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1685334567031444&amp;set=pb.100066647494924.-2207520000">spread</a> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/1wyqf82/trump_at_todays_nebraska_rally_downplaying_the/">reports</a> asserting that, while addressing a crowd during a campaign rally, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Iran could "take out" Los Angeles or San Diego, describing it as a "very small price to pay" amidst the ongoing military engagement with Iran.</p>

<p>The joint military campaign involving the United States and Israel has resulted in numerous casualties in Iran, a campaign that escalated following the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead-5b13b69b708c4ed38e8f95f5fb41a597">assassination of Ali Khamenei</a>, the nation's supreme leader, on February 28, 2026. Data from an <a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2026/most-americans-blame-trump-for-high-prices-as-midterms-approach-a-new-ap-norc-poll-finds/">October survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a> indicated that public approval for Trump's management of the Iran situation stood at only 28%, coinciding with rising inflation affecting everyday goods like fuel and groceries.</p>

<p>A widely shared <a href="https://x.com/HQNewsNow/status/2107261648339702108">post on X</a> featuring video footage of the speech was circulated with the caption, "Trump on Iran: Let 'em take out Los Angeles and San Diego, it's a small price to pay" (<a href="https://perma.cc/B832-AVUM">archived</a>), garnering upwards of 15 million views.</p>

<p>Verification confirmed that the video footage was genuine and the statements were accurately credited to the president. While discussing the broader economic tolls of the conflict during the October 5 rally in Nebraska, Trump stated (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/hePYQWyggnk?si=VNZ-kvigGdH3oRXJ&amp;t=6421">at 1:47:01</a>):</p>

<blockquote><p>I want to see a tremendous victory. You want to see a tremendous victory 'cause it verifies all the things we did. And again, remember, with the war it's just artificial. It's a little bit high, it's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. <strong>They can 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.</strong> It's essentially almost over with and they might keep going a little long. You know, they always say they have a big threshold for pain — they need it, let me tell you, they need it. But it's gonna end very soon and it'll end one way or the other and your gas and your gasoline and all of the things.</p></blockquote>

<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hePYQWyggnk"></iframe></p>

<p>Elected officials across California, including Governor <a href="https://x.com/GavinNewsom/status/2107288831112466787">Gavin Newsom</a> alongside the mayors of <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/newsom-bass-respond-to-trumps-take-out-los-angeles-comments/">Los Angeles</a> and <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/mayor-gloria-criticizes-president-trumps-115431970.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFszNfDEjbtHiYcvS4hofE9isk6dXGH3hUj6GP35u9OfF47t9q21vUY3bHIaEpg5My0j4bpglYdF_wP-3y634nZetqxwpEAxT0wH5lSEnY0WdBj65cxo3bP08lQczaHeeBL-cU9Xes7S1X175uH4PLI_Eran1ZrZVoMs3o3QPcXU">San Diego</a>, strongly condemned the remarks.</p>

<p>Governor Newsom posted on social media, writing, "After sending the National Guard and Marines to occupy California, Donald Trump is now saying our foreign enemies should 'take out' Los Angeles and San Diego. He is deranged and dangerous."</p>

<p>Requests for clarification sent to the administration directed inquiries toward a public <a href="https://x.com/StevenCheung47/status/2107449747002810417">statement on X</a> (<a href="https://perma.cc/3BQY-2UL7">archived</a>) issued by representative Steven Cheung. The spokesperson maintained that the president was "clearly" communicating that "U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped."</p>

<p>Ambiguities remained regarding the specific intent behind the phrasing regarding a "small price to pay," and subsequent clarifications from the administration offered no additional elaboration.</p>

<p>Additional evaluations of public statements by the president have previously authenticated remarks such as his characterization of the conflict as <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-iran-war-small-potatoes-quote">"small potatoes"</a> and comments during diplomatic discussions where he stated, <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-americans-finances-iran-deal/">"I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody."</a></p>