White House defends Trump comment to let Iran 'take out' LA and San Diego

Figure caption, Trump on Iran: 'Let them take out LA, let them take out San Diego.

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Donald Trump's remark that Iran could "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego has sparked fierce backlash from California politicians - and a strongly worded rebuttal from the White House.

California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the comment - made by Trump at a campaign rally in Nebraska - as "deranged and dangerous," while LA Mayor Karen Bass described them as threats and an attempt to "encourage attacks on American lives.

De acordo com a Casa Branca, no entanto, Trump dizia que cidades americanas teriam sido ameaçadas pelo Irã se ele não tivesse iniciado uma guerra lá no início deste ano.

Both LA and San Diego house major US military installations including Navy ports and Air Force bases.

Trump, while speaking on Monday in Nebraska about the Iran conflict, said: "It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city.

Deixe que eles tirem Los Angeles, deixe que eles tirem San Diego.

There were cheers from sections of the audience as the comments about the two Californian cities were made.

Na manhã seguinte à declaração de Trump, o governador Newsom anunciou que a declaração “perigosa - se não traiçoeira” o levou a instruir o Centro de Avaliação de Ameaças do Estado da Califórnia a “monitorar a situação caso atores estrangeiros interpretem os comentários como um convite” para atacar a Califórnia.

The agency is designed to detect and prevent security threats in the state.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote that the city was not collateral damage in a post on X, while demanding Trump keep it out of his "reckless war talk.

Trump is yet to respond to the statements made by California's leaders.

Em um post no X, o Diretor de Comunicação da Casa Branca, Stephen Cheung, descreveu o “media freakout” sobre os comentários de Trump como “not rooted in reality”.

He was clearly stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped," Cheung wrote. "America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money.

O presidente e outros funcionários da administração frequentemente afirmam que interromper o programa nuclear do Irã foi essencial para a segurança nacional dos EUA, e que quaisquer problemas que surgiram do conflito foram necessários.

A separate X post, from the official White House rapid response account, described journalists from the Los Angeles Times reporting on the comments as "buffoons" and again pushed back on the characterisation of the comments by Newsom and others.

He was saying the US 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," the account added.

San Diego, localizada a 27 km (17 milhas) da fronteira com o México, é a oitava maior cidade dos EUA e abriga a Base Naval de San Diego, porto de origem da Frota do Pacífico da Marinha dos EUA, e a Base Anfíbia Naval Coronado – o principal centro de treinamento dos Navy Seals na Costa Oeste.

It is also where Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is located, a base which 70,000 service members and civilians work at.

Located approximately 120 miles (193 KM) north of San Diego, Los Angeles is the second most populous city in the US.

It is home to the space system command headquarters of the US Space Force, as well as the Los Angeles Air Force Base.

Image source, ReutersImage caption, Trump and Newsom met when the president visited California in January after the state was hit by wildfires.

Esta não é a primeira vez que o presidente dos EUA e o governador da Califórnia, que pode concorrer à presidência em 2028, se confrontaram publicamente.

Last year Trump described him as incompetent, saying he had failed to adequately respond after some of the Los Angeles anti-immigration enforcement protests turned violent.

Newsom accused Trump of a "brazen abuse of power" after military personnel were deployed to secure federal buildings during those protests.

No início deste ano, Trump zombou da dislexia de Newsom, dizendo que presidentes não deveriam ter deficiências de aprendizagem, o que levou a críticas de organizações de caridade que lutam contra a dislexia.

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Em números

• San Diego, localizada a 27 km (17 milhas) da fronteira com o México, é a oitava
• Located approximately 120 miles (193 KM) north of San Diego, Los Angeles is the second mo