California Governor Newsom Condemns Donald Trump's 'Disgusting' Remarks on Iran Targeting Major Cities

California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed strong outrage on Tuesday, labeling US President Donald Trump 's recent comments regarding a potential Iranian strike on Los Angeles or San Diego as "disgusting and disqualifying."

Video clips circulated widely on social media capturing Mr Trump during a rally in Nebraska on Monday night. In the footage, he appeared to suggest that Iran could "take out" major metropolitan areas located within the Democratic-leaning state.

"Donald Trump’s remarks were dangerous – if not treasonous – putting a target on two of our biggest cities and one of America’s largest naval hubs," stated Mr Newsom through a post on X. He added, "I am directing the State Threat Assessment Centre to actively monitor the situation in the event that foreign actors interpret the President’s remarks as an invitation to target California." Records show the FBI warned earlier this year about potential Iranian drone attacks targeting the region.

Echoing these concerns, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass shared on X, "The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives."

However, the White House defended the statements, arguing that Mr Trump's words were removed from their proper context and actually referred to petrol prices. White House spokesman Steven Cheung stated, "The media freak-out over President Trump’s comments is not rooted in reality. He was clearly stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped. America is safer because of the President."

During the Nebraska rally, Mr Trump asserted that a "tremendous victory" in upcoming elections would validate his administration's past actions. He and his fellow Republicans currently face mounting pressure ahead of the midterm elections in November, driven by high costs for petrol and other essentials alongside the ongoing, albeit muted, war with Iran.

Addressing the crowd, Mr Trump remarked: "And again, remember, with the war, it's just artificial. It's a little bit high. It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay and it's going to be over very soon. It's essentially almost over with."

Tensions between Mr Trump and Mr Newsom are longstanding. Last year saw Mr Trump deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles to handle immigration-related protests, prompting Mr Newsom to file a lawsuit against the administration. Furthermore, Mr Newsom alleged in June that Mr Trump had ordered a criminal investigation targeting both him and his wife.