California Gov. Gavin Newsom blasted President Donald Trump as “dangerous” and “deranged” in a video posted at 4 p.m. on X after Trump suggested he’d be fine if Iran bombed Los Angeles and San Diego.
“Where the hell is Congress?” Newsom demanded, calling out House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. “Where is your outrage? Find a backbone. Do your damn job.”
Newsom warned that Trump’s stunning comments put American lives at risk, including military personnel stationed in the region.
“The president of the United States, the same one who sent the National Guard into Los Angeles, sent 700 active-duty Marines to the second-largest city in the United States of America. Just invited Iran to take out Los Angeles and San Diego, where, by the way, over 130,000 active-duty personnel are stationed, our best and the brightest,” Newsom said.
“This is not only madness. This is dangerous, and it’s deranged.”
Trump’s remarks have sparked a major backlash and renewed calls for impeachment. The White House is trying to walk back the comment, even insisting that’s not what he said.
It happened during a campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday and was caught on video.
“They can take out a city. Let ’em, let ’em take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” Trump astoundingly crowed while discussing his war on Iran.
“This is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon, essentially almost over with,” he insisted unconvincingly as the crowd snickered at his comments on L.A. and San Diego.
Plenty of Americans are not snickering, and California leaders, especially, have been deadly serious in their responses.
Newsom opened his video with a warning about the stakes of the midterms.
“So, if you didn’t think the November election mattered, just consider what just happened.”
Before posting the video, Newsom had already called Trump out on his personal X account.
“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.”
An hour after that written warning, his official press account posted another message, also before the video.
“Let’s be clear: The President is advocating for an attack on 10+ million U.S. residents in two of America’s largest cities. This is not normal. None of this is. And we will continue to remind folks of that every day.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also weighed in.
“The President of the United States suggested that a foreign government attack Los Angeles. His statements against our city are dangerous and could potentially compromise our safety,” Bass warned.
“The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives,” she added.
Angry San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wasn’t playing around.
“San Diego is not collateral damage. We are not expendable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay.’ Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”
Of course, the White House fought back with name-calling, denials and spin.
Its Rapid Response 47 account responded to a Los Angeles Times headline that read, “Trump suggests letting Iran ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego at campaign rally.”
“No, he didn’t, you buffoons,” Trump aides wrote. “He was saying the U.S. is fighting to STOP Iran from having the ability to take out LA and San Diego with a nuclear weapon — which they would if they had the chance.”
But Trump’s recorded remarks included the words, “Let ’em, let ’em take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego.”
Leaving the White House a day after making the stunning comment, Trump ignored reporters who yelled questions about what he meant and why he said it.
A social media frenzy erupted over his remarks.
Contributing writer at The Atlantic and sports journalist Jemele Hill addressed California voters in her X post.
“So when Trump eventually passes away, as a Los Angeles resident, I’m going to keep that same energy. By the way, millions of people in California voted for him, and he just told them they are collateral damage.”
Others chimed in.
“A sitting president is ‘joking’ about letting a foreign government take out an American city. Every time you think he’s gone as low as you can, he goes lower. But at least he’s owning the libs right, patriots?”
Polling expert Dr. Nate Lichtman also weighed in.
“An American president casually accepting the destruction of Los Angeles and San Diego as ‘a small price to pay.’ A staggering betrayal of the most basic duty of the presidency.”
A Threads commenter wondered, “OMG this is awful!!!! How did this man get elected??!!”
Trump is on the road three weeks out from the midterms, touring red states he handily won in 2024. He’s trying to help embattled Republicans win elections in places they shouldn’t be having any trouble but are, according to recent polls.
He’s also trying to convince voters that the affordability crisis is a “hoax,” and that it’s worth paying higher gas and diesel prices for a nuclear-free Iran.
Oil and gas prices have spiked in the more than seven months since Trump launched his war on Tehran on February 28.
“Remember with the war it’s artificial. It’s a little bit high,” Trump said at the rally before repeating his familiar defense: “It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe.”
