White House defends President Trump following comments on Iran and US cities

The White House has defended President Donald Trump after his campaign rally comments about Iran sparked criticism from California officials.

FTMQ Politics, written by our newsroom7 October 2026 at 01:090 views

The White House defended President Donald Trump on Tuesday following backlash over comments he made regarding Iran during a campaign rally in Nebraska. According to BBC News US, Trump suggested that Iran could take out Los Angeles and San Diego. [4][5]

California politicians strongly criticized the remarks. BBC News US reported that California Governor Gavin Newsom called the statements deranged and dangerous, while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described them as threats that encourage attacks on American lives. [4]

The administration pushed back against the criticism. According to BBC News US and The Hill, the White House said Trump was warning of the risks posed by a nuclear Iran. The Hill added that White House communications director Steven Cheung stated that the reaction was not rooted in reality. [4][5]

The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. [13]

Donald Trump suggested at a Nebraska rally that Iran could take out Los Angeles and San Diego.
California Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump's remarks deranged and dangerous.
The White House stated Trump was warning about the dangers of a nuclear Iran.

Sources

Every paragraph above points to the numbered items it rests on. Read the originals here.

[1]Trump's sweeping makeover of the White House and WashingtonReuters, 2h ago (the report this story comes from)
[2]Trump hasn’t committed to repaying federal funds already spent on ads, a White House official saysWTOP News, 5h ago
[3]Trump hosts election denier Tina Peters for strategy summit at White House as midterms look grim: insiderThe Independent, 5h ago
[4]White House defends Trump comment to let Iran 'take out' LA and San DiegoBBC News US, 4h ago
[5]White House pushes back on characterization of Trump’s Iran comments on LA, San DiegoThe Hill, 10h ago
[6]Exclusive / Democrats press White House on still-secret AI frameworkSemafor, 16h ago
[7]Maryland governor, White House spar over $3.7B submarine investment eventThe Hill, 6h ago
[8]Replica Oval Office near White House gets Trump makeover with gold flourishesNBC4 Washington, 1d ago
[9]Maryland officials won’t speak at Trump’s shipbuilding eventThe Washington Post, 1h ago
[10]Factbox-Trump’s sweeping makeover of the White House and WashingtonInternazionale, 15h ago
[11]US President Trump makes an announcement at the White House in Washington, D.C.The Daily News | Texas' Oldest Newspaper, 7h ago
[12]Former Trump White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt joins Fox NewsEL PAÍS English, 1d ago

Background

[13]White House on Wikipedia
[14]Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign on Wikipedia
[15]Grant (book) on Wikipedia
[16]White House on Grokipedia

Our newsroom writes these reports with the help of software, from the 16 sources listed and nothing else, and checks them against those sources. Facts can still be wrong or move on; the originals are the record. Spotted a mistake? Write to daniel@monsterkong.com.

Get the day in one email

Reports like this one, the top news of the last 24 hours, every morning. Free, one email a day; readers can comment under every report.

By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Unsubscribe any time.

Comments

Join the conversation

Comments are open to readers of our daily email: the top news of the last 24 hours, every morning, free. Sign up and the comment box opens.

Already on the list? Enter the same address and we will send a sign-in link.