Trump says Iran taking out LA and San Diego would be 'small price to pay'
Donald Trump sparked controversy after suggesting that the potential destruction of Los Angeles and San Diego by Iran would be a 'small price to pay' for global safety. Local California officials and political critics condemned the remarks as dangerous and dismissive of the lives of American citizens and military personnel.
Why it matters
The comments highlight the deepening political divide between the former president and Democratic-led states, while raising concerns about his rhetoric regarding national security and domestic targets.
TOI correspondent from Washington: MAGA boss Donald Trump has never been particularly sentimental about California, a state that has rejected him by 20 to 30 points in the last three presidential elections. But suggesting that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego -- and calling their destruction “a very small price to pay” -- carried the president’s long-running feud with the Golden State into distinctly darker territory.At a rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday night, Trump was explaining away the economic pain caused by his war on Iran when his verbal GPS appeared to lose the signal. “With the war, it’s just artificial. It’s a little bit high,” Trump said, apparently referring to prices. Then came the sentence that jolted American politics: “It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city.
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