WH lashes out at ‘media freakouts’ over Trump’s ‘Iran could take out’ California cities remark

WASHINGTON, DC: After President Donald Trump’s statement over Iran’s ability to “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego drew severe backlash from different realms of society and media criticism, the White House has now lashed out at what it called “media freakouts.”

LA and San Diego are among the major cities in a state Trump has often criticized.

“Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” Trump said in comments that drew swift backlash, including from Californian leadership.

White House calls media ‘Buffons’ over Trump’s Iran remark criticism

The criticism of Trump’s remark that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego with a nuclear weapon has prompted a strong White House pushback against media coverage of the comment.

The White House has argued that Trump was warning about the potential threat posed by a nuclear-armed Iran, rather than advocating an attack on the two cities.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung on Tuesday, Oct 6, branded the coverage a “media freakout” and argued the response to the remark was not grounded in reality. Cheung hailed the President’s leadership, crediting him for America’s safety.

“He was clearly stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped. America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money,” Cheung said.

“No, he didn’t, you buffoons,” the White House Rapid Response account wrote on X in response to a Los Angeles Times headline stating: “Trump suggests letting Iran ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego at campaign rally.”

“He was saying the US 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,” the rebuttal read.

What did Trump say about LA and San Diego in Iranian context?

Speaking at a rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, ahead of the midterm 2026 elections, Trump once again called the consequences of the war with Iran a “small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,” adding that Iran could potentially take out an American city.

He further said that let Iran “take out” LA and San Diego, prompting critical responses from Californian leadership.

“This is a very small price to pay and it’s gonna be over with very soon,” he said of the war.

Officials in California denounced  Trump’s comments as “dangerous” on Monday, Oct. 5.

Democratic Gov Gavin Newsom called the president “deranged and dangerous,” while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the statements about the city “could potentially compromise our safety.”

“The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives,” said Bass, also a Democrat.

The Democratic mayor of San Diego, Todd Gloria, said the city “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.”