Letting Iran bomb Los Angeles and San Diego would be a “small price to pay” for the U.S. intervention in Iran, President Donald Trump told a rally in Grand Island, Neb., Oct. 5.
The inflammatory comments have been confirmed by multiple media outlets.
“They can take out a city,” Trump told the crowd. “Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego.”
“Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego.”
Regarding the public’s concern about the cost of living and especially gas prices, Trump called the huge price increases “just artificial. It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe.”
The crowd of Trump Republicans cheered as he said this.
Trump also predicted the Iran conflict would end soon, even though earlier he said the conflict would not end before the November midterm elections.
“It’s going to be over with very soon,” he said. “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 going to end very soon, and it’ll end one way or the other.”
Elsewhere in the speech, Trump blithely proclaimed, “By the way, we’re kicking Iran’s ass.”
In addition to the general shock of a U.S. president making such a statement, residents of Los Angeles pointed out that their metropolis is home to one of the largest Iranian diaspora populations the nation. And residents of San Diego pointed out the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Theodore Roosevelt are based in their hometown.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded: “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.”