Trump Clarifies Remarks on Iran Bombing Los Angeles, San Diego

The comments came after initial remarks made at a rally in Nebraska on Monday, where Trump said Iran could take out the cities and that it was a very small price to pay.

These statements drew swift condemnation from California leaders, including Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the remarks dangerous, if not treasonous, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who said the comments could compromise her city's safety. The White House initially defended the remarks, with communications director Steven Cheung insisting they were taken out of context and that Trump was stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran had not been stopped.

CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale also suggested Trump was taken out of context, providing a fuller transcript of his comments. Trump's clarification came at a rally in San Antonio, Texas, where he reiterated that Iran could hit the cities on the way but assured the crowd that such an attack would not occur. Republican Jim Desmond, running for the U.S. House in San Diego, stated that no American city is expendable. Mayor Bass indicated she might call on Congress to investigate Trump's comments.