Trump: 'Let Them Take Out' LA and San Diego — SkimNews
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- Trump told a Grand Island, Nebraska rally "let them take out Los Angeles. let them take out San Diego," describing potential economic costs from an Iranian strike as "a very small price to pay," per the source's transcript of his remarks.
- San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria fired back that "San Diego is not collateral damage. We are not expendable," while Mayor Karen Bass accused Trump of "actively" threatening American lives.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) called the comments "deranged and dangerous" and said "the SILENCE from JD Vance and Marco Rubio today is deafening," noting Trump had previously sent the National Guard and Marines to California.
- Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) invoked the 25th Amendment, writing "Twenty-fifth amendment NOW," the constitutional process for removing a president unable to fulfill the office.
- Republican Jim Desmond, candidate for Congress in San Diego's 48th District, distanced himself from the president's remarks.
- The comments came as the Pentagon prepared to deploy a third carrier and additional troops to the Middle East amid stalled US-Iran talks, with the source noting gas at $4.36/gallon and an AP survey showing near two-thirds of respondents disapproved of Trump's handling of the war he joined Israel in starting in February without congressional approval.
Why it matters: A sitting president explicitly telling a rally he'd permit an adversary to strike two of America's largest cities — a combined 5.2 million residents in the cities, over 20 million in the surrounding metros — is an extraordinary rhetorical break, and the cross-party reaction (even GOP House candidate Jim Desmond distancing himself, plus Sen. Padilla's 25th Amendment call) signals the controversy is forcing accountability beyond partisan lines.
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