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Trump ponders whether Iran should 'take out Los Angeles' while defending higher gas prices and war with Iran

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Cite

Lepore, S. M. (2026, October 6). Trump ponders whether Iran should 'take out Los Angeles' while defending higher gas prices and war with Iran. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16185873/Trump-Iran-Los-Angeles-gas-war-Iran.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Daily Mail · collected 2026-10-06 · by Stephen M. Lepore

Quick Summary

During a rally in Nebraska, President Donald Trump joked about allowing Iran to attack Los Angeles and San Diego if it acquired nuclear weapons, defending this stance by saying higher gas prices are a small price for national security. California politicians, including Mayors Karen Bass of Los Angeles and Todd Gloria of San Diego, criticized Trump's comments as dangerous and threatening to city safety. Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump’s rhetoric "deranged and dangerous." The article also mentions that Trump signed an executive order aimed at lowering diesel prices amid record-high fuel costs ahead of the midterm elections.
Written by AI on 2026-10-06, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

During a campaign rally in Nebraska, former President Donald Trump suggested letting Iran "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego as part of his defense for high gas prices due to the war with Iran, claiming it would be a "small price to pay for keeping the world safe." This comment drew immediate backlash from California officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, who called Trump's remarks "deranged and dangerous," and Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles, who emphasized that the role of a president is to protect the country, not threaten it. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also condemned the suggestion, noting that his city houses major military installations such as Naval Base San Diego and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, which collectively support 70,000 civilians and active-duty service members.

Written for “Trump Iran Comment Controversy” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 30 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Trump Iran Comment Controversy
Politics · 31 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

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This article reads leans strongly left and hedges 10% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
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⚖️ Leans left further right than this Hedges 3 of 7 claims Outlet record 64/100
Global News
Hedges 4 of 12 claims Outlet record 63/100
The Guardian
⚖️ Leans strongly left Hedges 2 of 33 claims Outlet record 66/100
CBS News
Hedges 1 of 2 claims Outlet record 66/100
BBC News
Hedges 1 of 13 claims Outlet record 68/100
ABC News (US)
Hedges 2 of 3 claims Outlet record 70/100
The Independent
Hedges 2 of 22 claims Outlet record 59/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
39
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
10%
4 of 39 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans strongly left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
68/100
Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
31
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-06 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Daily Mail · 8478 article(s) · 20 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 20 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Stephen M. Lepore
76 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 'Democrats should understand that the allegation is almost certainly true - whatever conclusion they draw from that point could vary - and her denials calling it a right-wing, Islamophobic or racist conspiracy are almost certainly not,' Radinovich wrote.
🔮 - Sign up HERE for the DC Insider Newsletter - our guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill Donald Trump defended high gas prices by claiming America is 'making an absolute fortune' from the Iran War while still promising they would go down soon.
🔮 - Sign up HERE for the DC Insider Newsletter - our guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill America's allies in the Gulf region have been warned that the US may begin a 'short, intense renewal' of strikes against Iran shortly after the midterms.
🔮 Polling guru Nate Silver said that if the Democrats win both the House and Senate in the midterm elections it will be 'the end of the Trump era.'
🔮 Only a stupid person would run the country like that,' Trump said.
🔮 The news comes amid another spike in oil prices and rumors that Donald Trump may resume strikes on Tehran after the midterm elections.
🔮 He challenged her explanation for the short briefing, asking: 'Why only three questions in 14 minutes?' before warning her that the White House briefing room would 'never be a friendly room to you.
🔮 The woman accusing seven Cornell fraternity members of sexual assault will remain anonymous as ‘Jane Doe’ throughout her civil trial against them and the university, a judge has ruled.
🔮 Erika Kirk asked a judge to reject a 'grossly out of line' proposal by attorneys for the man who allegedly killed her husband that would delay his trial until 2029.
🔮 The horse-drawn carriages that have cruised through Central Park for more than 150 years will soon be banished from the Big Apple, ending an iconic tradition beloved by tourists but long opposed by animal welfare activists. Trump criticized the New York City Council Thursday for passing the Mamdani bill by a 40-7 margin in a Truth Social post. 'So sad to see the beloved Central Park Horse-drawn Carriage Industry ending after over a century, based largely on one tragic accident,' Trump, a New York native, said.
Also by Stephen M. Lepore
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 76 articles by Stephen M. Lepore →

Topics

California Iran Los Angeles San Diego the White House

Subjects

San Diego GPE · 9× Trump PERSON · 9× Los Angeles GPE · 8× Iran GPE · 7× California GPE · 5× American NORP · 3× Democrats NORP · 3× Donald Trump PERSON · 3× the White House ORG · 3× Nebraska GPE · 2×

Narrative

- Sign up HERE for our DC Insider newsletter - your guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill California Democrats slammed Donald Trump after he joked the US should let Iran 'take out' Los Angeles and San Diego at a rally in Nebraska on Monday.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-06
🔮 He then quipped that a nuclear Iran 'could take out a city.

Claims (39 extracted, 4 hedged)

- Sign up HERE for our DC Insider newsletter - your guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill California Democrats slammed Donald Trump after he joked the US should let Iran 'take out' Los Angeles and San Diego at a rally in Nebraska on Monday. asserted
Iran → sign → Monday
The President campaigned in Grand Island alongside GOP Senator Pete Ricketts, who is running against an independent candidate backed by national Democrats. asserted
who → campaign → Democrats
Trump was defending the Iran War and explaining that higher gas prices - which he hopes to lower with an Executive Order expanding access to tax-exempt diesel - are a small price to pay to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon. ' asserted
he → defend → weapon
And again, remember, with the war, it's just artificial. asserted
it → remember → war
It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,' he said. asserted
he → pay → country
He then quipped that a nuclear Iran 'could take out a city. uncertain
Iran → quip → city
' 'Let them take out Los Angeles. asserted
them → let → Angeles
Let them take out San Diego,' he asserted
them → let → Diego
added, as the crowd cheered and applauded. asserted
crowd → add → ?
'This is a very small price to pay, and it's gonna be over with very soon. asserted
it → pay → ?
It's essentially almost over with,' Trump added. asserted
Trump → add → ?
Both the mayors of Los Angeles and San Diego ripped Trump for suggesting he was joking about Iran taking out either of their cities. asserted
Iran → rip → cities
California Democrats slammed Donald Trump over joking that the US should let Iran 'take out' Los Angeles and San Diego at a rally in Nebraska on Monday Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (pictured) ripped Trump for suggesting he was joking about Iran taking out either of their cities ' asserted
Iran → slam → cities
The President of the United States suggested that a foreign government attack Los Angeles. uncertain
government → suggest → Angeles
His statements against our city are dangerous and could potentially compromise our safety,' Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told The Daily Mail. uncertain
Bass → compromise → Mail
The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives.' asserted
role → protect → lives
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, a Democrat like Bass, added: 'San Diego is not collateral damage. asserted
Diego → add → Bass
And we are never a "small price to pay." asserted
we → pay → ?
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a frequent sparring partner of Trump with presidential ambitions of his own, also chimed in. asserted
Newsom → chime → own
'After sending the National Guard and Marines to occupy California, Donald Trump is now saying our foreign enemies should “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego. asserted
enemies → send → Angeles
He is deranged and dangerous,' Newsom said. asserted
Newsom → say → ?
The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment. asserted
Mail → reach → comment
At the rally, Trump said he signed an executive order aimed at driving down record diesel prices as soaring fuel costs threaten to squeeze American truckers, businesses and consumers just weeks before the midterm elections. asserted
costs → say → elections
Diesel surged to around $6.50 a gallon last month, piling fresh pressure on the White House as the November 3 vote approaches and threatening to push up the cost of transporting everything from groceries to construction materials across the country. asserted
vote → surge → country
California Governor Gavin Newsom (pictured), a frequent sparring partner of Trump with presidential ambitions of his own, also chimed in, calling Trump 'deranged' asserted
Newsom → picture → Trump
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria (pictured, a Democrat like Bass and Newsom, added: 'San Diego is not collateral damage. asserted
Diego → picture → Bass
And we are never a ''small price to pay.'' asserted
we → pay → ?
The dramatic spike has been fueled by turmoil overseas and in response to the wars in Iran and Ukraine which have led to attacks on refineries in Russia and the Middle East. asserted
which → fuel → Russia
Trump's new order seeks to rapidly expand the amount of diesel available to American motorists and businesses, including by opening the door to greater use of so-called red-dyed diesel. asserted
order → seek → diesel
Red dye diesel is normally reserved for agriculture, construction equipment and other off-road uses and is exempt from federal highway taxes. asserted
diesel → reserve → taxes
The order will likely direct the Department of Transportation to coordinate with states to waive taxes on road diesel. asserted
order → direct → diesel
Under the administration's plan, restrictions could be temporarily eased to allow more of that fuel into the road transportation market as officials scramble to increase supply and push prices lower. uncertain
officials → ease → prices
The executive order is also expected to direct the Department of Transportation to work with states on potentially waiving taxes imposed on diesel used on highways. asserted
order → expect → highways
The move marks the latest attempt by Trump to tackle a fuel-price surge that has become an increasingly urgent economic and political problem ahead of the midterms. asserted
that → mark → midterms
Truckers have been particularly exposed because diesel is the lifeblood of America's freight network, with higher prices rapidly translating into increased costs for companies moving goods thousands of miles around the country. asserted
prices → expose → country
Those costs can ultimately ripple through the economy as businesses decide whether to absorb the increase or pass it on to consumers. asserted
businesses → ripple → consumers
Trump had already piled pressure on America's allies to take action over the crunch and even considered banning US diesel exports in an effort to keep more fuel at home. asserted
Trump → pile → home
G7 nations announced last week that they would release 100 million barrels of diesel and other fuel from emergency stockpiles in an effort to calm markets and bolster supplies. asserted
they → announce → supplies
But questions remain over how much of that promised release represents genuinely additional fuel rather than barrels that countries had already committed to making available under a global agreement reached in March. asserted
countries → remain → March
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