Key facts
- Donald Trump suggested Iran could attack Los Angeles and San Diego.
- Trump described the potential attack as a "small price to pay" for global safety.
- Democrats and some Republicans condemned Trump's remarks.
- The White House claimed Trump was stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran had not been stopped.
- JD Vance told a Democratic candidate to "get the hell out of here" if she identifies as a socialist.
Donald Trump, speaking at a rally in Nebraska, suggested that Iran could attack the US cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, referring to it as a "small price to pay" for keeping the world safe. The comments, made during a discussion about the war with Iran, have drawn significant criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut described the statement as "such a sick, evil thing to say," while Senator Bernie Sanders accused Trump of deeming the "annihilation of two major American cities" a small price. California Governor Gavin Newsom labeled Trump "deranged and dangerous" and placed the state's threat-assessment center on alert. Forty-three members of Congress from California jointly requested an apology from Trump. Even a group called Astronauts for America issued a statement of condemnation.
However, many Republicans remained silent. White House communications director Steven Cheung asserted that Trump was "clearly stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped." Some critics, like CNN's Aaron Blake, suggested the comment was "incoherent, not malicious."
In a separate instance, JD Vance, speaking in Florida, responded to a Democratic Senate candidate who called herself a socialist by saying, "Then get the hell out of here. You don’t belong in America if those are your views."