The White House is trying to explain what Donald J. Trump meant by his remarks suggesting that Iran could “take out” two major American cities, apparently dismissing their destruction as a price worth paying.
At his rally, Trump described the economic impact of the war as a “small price to pay” to keep the country safe. He then went on to apply that logic to the possibility of an attack on a major American city, telling the crowd, “They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego.” Both cities overwhelmingly rejected Trump at the ballot box.
Trump was casually talking about the cities he named as potential targets for Iran, which have more than 5.27 million residents combined. Still, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung was in damage-control mode, attempting to explain away Trump's remarks.
The media freakout over President Trump’s comments is not rooted in reality. He was clearly stating U.S. 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.
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) October 6, 2026
The White House’s official rapid-response account also tried to rewrite the meaning of Trump's remarks:
No, he didn't, you buffoons. He was saying the U.S. 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.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 6, 2026
But that explanation doesn't change what Trump actually said. His comments were explicit: “Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” followed by his assertion that this would be “a very small price to pay.” The crowd cheered.
The White House can try to spin Trump's remarks after the fact, but it can't change the words that came out of his big fat mouth.
