// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
White House defends Trump comment to let Iran 'take out' LA and San Diego
Trump on Iran: 'Let them take out LA, let them take out San Diego'
Donald Trump's remark that Iran could "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego has sparked fierce backlash from California politicians - and a strongly worded rebuttal from the White House.
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the comment - made by Trump at an election campaign rally in Nebraska - as "deranged and dangerous," while LA Mayor Karen Bass described them as threats and an attempt to "encourage attacks on American lives".
According to the White House, however, Trump was saying that American cities would have been threatened by Iran had he not launched a war there earlier this year.
Both LA and San Diego house major US military installations including Navy ports and Air Force bases.
While speaking in Nebraska about the Iran conflict, he said: "It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego."
There were cheers from sections of the audience as the comments about the two Californian cities were made.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote that the city was not collateral damage in a post on X, while demanding Trump keep it out of his "reckless war talk".
In a second post on his official governor of California X account, Newsom shared an article on the comments from the Los Angeles Times saying it was "disgusting and disqualifying".
Trump is yet to respond to the statements made by California's leaders.