“U.S. President Donald Trump said, 'They [Iran] 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.'”

On October 5, 2026, at a campaign rally in Nebraska, President Donald Trump addressed the war in Iran. During his speech, he attempted to justify the economic impact of the conflict, specifically high gas prices, by comparing them to the potential threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. In the process, he said: '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.' The remarks were widely reported by major news outlets, including The New York Times, ABC News, and the San Diego Union-Tribune. Following the backlash, the White House, through Communications Director Steven Cheung, stated that the President's comments were taken out of context. The administration argued that Trump was illustrating the hypothetical danger Iran would have posed to U.S. cities had his administration not intervened militarily. In subsequent days, President Trump and his team sought to clarify that he was not inviting an attack but rather emphasizing the necessity of the war to prevent such outcomes.