US President Donald Trump made another political blunder. From the podium of a campaign event in Nebraska, he called on Iran to take over Los Angeles and San Diego, CBS reports.
At the rally in Nebraska, Trump said that the war in Iran is “artificial“, but he wants to see “complete victory“. He noted that the war is “a small price to pay to keep the world safe, to keep the United States safe“.
"It's a small price to pay to ensure the safety of the world, the safety of our country. They can take over a city. Let them take it, let them take it, let them take over Los Angeles. "Let them take San Diego," Trump said. California Governor Gavin Newsom reacted sharply to his words.
"After sending the National Guard and Marines to occupy California, Donald Trump is now saying that our foreign enemies should "take over" Los Angeles and San Diego," Newsom wrote in X. "He is insane and dangerous," the Democratic governor added.
The White House immediately tried to cover up the blunder, issuing a statement saying that the president's words had been misinterpreted. "He said the US is fighting to STOP Iran from having the ability to destroy Los Angeles and San Diego with a nuclear weapon - which they would do if they had the chance," the post said.
"I am directing the State Threat Assessment Center to actively monitor the situation in case foreign actors interpret the President's remarks as an invitation to attack California," Newsom also wrote. In a statement to CBS, the state's governor called for Trump to be removed from office under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution.
In addition to being the second most populous city in the country, Los Angeles is home to the headquarters of the U.S. Space Forces Space Systems Command, aerospace manufacturers including Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, and federally funded research centers such as the RAND Corporation, CBS noted.
San Diego, the eighth largest city in the country, has major military installations in and around it, including: Naval Air Station San Diego, home to the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet; Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, home to 70,000 civilians and active-duty military personnel; and Naval Amphibious Station Coronado, the primary training ground for Navy SEALs on the West Coast.
Source: www.focus-news.net