President Donald Trump sent shockwaves across the globe Monday night after suggesting Iran could “take out” two major U.S. cities, and on Tuesday, the White House scrambled to offer a sanitized interpretation of the president’s controversial remark.
Speaking about Iran at his rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, Trump said the Middle East nation could “take out” both Los Angeles and San Diego — two cities with a combined population of over 5 million — and that it would be a “very small price to pay” for “keeping the world safe.”
Trump’s remarks were reported on by media outlets across the globe, sparking fury among countless elected officials, lawmakers and critics. And, in the wake of the outrage, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung raced to provide his own interpretation of Trump’s comments.
“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,” Cheung said in a statement published on social media. “America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money.”
“Rapid Response 47,” the White House’s official rapid response account on X, also disputed the characterization of Trump’s remarks, calling the Los Angeles Times “buffoons” for its coverage.
“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,” reads a post from the account.
Conservatives also rushed to Trump’s defense, including Ian Miller, who writes for the Fox-owned news outlet Outkick.
“That’s not what he said at all, he said that dealing with Iran is better than letting them take out Los Angeles and San Diego, but of course left wing legacy media is happily creating yet another hoax for their readers to lap up and repeat,” Miller wrote Tuesday in a social media post on X to his nearly 137,000 followers.
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