Donald Trump has once again invoked the prospect of Iran attacking Los Angeles or San Diego, returning to a claim that has already triggered a political
backlash in California. Speaking at a rally in San Antonio on Wednesday, Trump said the United States could not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon and again described a potential attack on American cities as the consequence his administration was trying to prevent. “You want to see a horror show? You want to see problems?” Trump said, referring to the possibility of Iran hitting San Diego or Los Angeles. He added that the US was protecting its cities and would not allow such an attack to happen.
AFTER THEY SPENT THE LAST 48 HOURS TELLING US WE TOOK IT OUT OF CONTEXT, HE SAYS IT AGAIN.REMOVE HIM FROM OFFICE HOLY SHIT.
— Andrew—#IAmTheResistance (@AmoneyResists) October 8, 2026
The comments came two days after Trump told a rally in Nebraska, “Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” while arguing that the economic costs of the war with Iran were a relatively small price for US security.
What US Intelligence Says About Iran
Trump has repeatedly framed the war as necessary to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. But US intelligence assessments have drawn a more complicated picture. The 2025 Annual Threat Assessment said the US intelligence community assessed that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had not reauthorised the nuclear weapons programme suspended in 2003.
The assessment did, however, warn that Iran's growing enriched-uranium stockpile and internal debate could increase pressure to reconsider that decision.
The latest 2026 assessment says Iran has been developing missile delivery systems that could eventually pose a threat to the US homeland. It says Tehran has demonstrated technology that could allow it to develop a militarily viable ICBM before 2035 if it chose to pursue that capability. That is different from saying Iran currently possesses a missile capable of reaching California.
California Backlash Returns
Trump's earlier remarks prompted criticism from California officials. Governor Gavin Newsom called him “deranged and dangerous”, while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria rejected the suggestion that either city could be treated as expendable. Some Republicans also distanced themselves from the comments.
The White House has said Trump was not advocating an attack on American cities but was illustrating what it considers the danger of allowing Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. By returning to the subject in San Antonio, Trump has kept the controversy alive while continuing to use the hypothetical threat of an Iranian nuclear attack to justify his administration's military campaign.
