Let them destroy Los Angeles, let them destroy San Diego. This is just a small price to pay.
On the 5th local time, President Trump made astonishing remarks to MAGA supporters in a Republican stronghold in California, causing outrage among the public in California. Los Angeles and San Diego are the two most populous cities in California.
White House communications director Zhang Zhenxi responded on X platform that American media has 'overreacted' to Trump's remarks, which 'have no factual basis'.
According to the Los Angeles Times, on the 6th, when asked about the actual meaning of these remarks, Trump refused to clarify.
The White House official 'Quick Response' account posted that the claim about 'destorying Los Angeles and San Diego' is an 'obvious lie', and those people are 'mad'.
"Even CNN (American Cable News Network) debunked it." "Fast Response" account wrote.
Yes, in an analysis article, CNN very rarely defended Trump in a rather unusual manner in response to his shocking statements.
Reports say that Trump often makes some strange or even hateful statements, but suggesting that he would allow Iran to attack Los Angeles and San Diego with nuclear weapons is not one of those cases.
CNN says that, considering the context and recent developments, “Trump’s problem is less about being indifferent to the fate of California residents, and more about his increasingly incoherent statements.”
Trump's words were: "They can destroy a city—let them do it, let them destroy Los Angeles, let them destroy San Diego. It is a very small price to pay."
California Governor Newsom criticized this, saying, "Trump said that foreign enemies should ‘destruction’ Los Angeles and San Diego. He is mentally ill and extremely dangerous."
The President of the United States suggested attacking a U.S. city in Iran, where the U.S. military is in conflict. It sounds unbelievable, even if it comes from Trump.
But CNN emphasized that before saying “destroying Los Angeles,” Trump was talking about the other costs of the war in Iran, with gasoline prices being the core issue. It also said that those costs were “a small price to pay.”
Trump has indeed described short-term oil prices as "a small cost" on several occasions recently.
For example, at a rally in Mobile, Alabama, several days ago, Trump said, “Remember the matter of oil: you are paying a price, but compared to allowing these lunatics to have nuclear weapons and using those weapons in Mobile, Alabama, the price is much smaller. Well, that won’t happen.”
The report states that at the rally in Nebraska, Trump essentially repeated this statement, only making it more difficult to understand.
"Did Iran plan to destroy Los Angeles?" According to CNN, not only did the MAGA supporters on-site, Democratic voters in California, and even Republican candidates for the state congressional seat all understand Trump’s meaning through "the worst possible way."
The report also noted that although Trump is not advocating for Iran to attack American cities, his wording reveals an increasingly serious issue.
People expect the president to speak with authority and clarity, particularly on extremely significant issues such as nuclear warfare. However, Trump's rhetoric often is completely not like that. When he speaks, people feel like they are engaged in a long-winded free association. He attempts to make this expression sound deliberate, but it gets increasingly difficult to keep up with, and may even bring about harmful consequences. CNN wrote.
According to the 'Beast Daily', Los Angeles Mayor Bart said in a program on the 6th that he criticized the White House's response. "What I mean is, I heard what I heard, and everyone else has heard it too. The president actually said, 'If you want to destroy America's second-largest city, come then.' What is America's image on the world stage?"
"I understand that the news spokesperson wants to paint things in a certain light, as if we didn't hear what we heard. However, unfortunately, those words were recorded and everyone worldwide heard them." Bass said.
Trump's remarks were also criticized by Jim Desmon, a Republican from California who is seeking to become a member of Congress.
Jim said, “I strongly oppose President Trump’s statements. The United States must take a firm stance against Iran and defend our interests. However, the primary responsibility of the military commander is to protect the American people and our territory.”
The Los Angeles Times believes that in the last weeks before the midterm elections, Trump traveled throughout the United States, with California being his favorite target for stirring up the emotions of voters.
But the backlash from public opinion reveals the risks of Trump's strategy. If Republicans in competitive districts are caught in an awkward situation due to Trump's remarks, they will have to distance themselves from him.
